


Galaxy-38: The Untold Stories

by MMPRPink



Series: There Will Be No Hero in the End, Who Will Rise Above [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Aggravated sexual assault, Ahsoka goes a little crazy, Alternate Universe, Child Death, Darth Momin is actually being nice, F/F, F/M, Force Ghost(s), Galaxy-38, Genocide, I'm not sorry for certain things, Inter dimensional travel, Kaeden Larte needs a hug, Kaeden is tired of the Force, Kaeden needs therapy, Meeting the Parents, Mentions of Rape, Order 37, Order 66, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Rescue Missions, Schizophrenia, Sith!Ahsoka, Suicide Attempt, Tags will be added as new chapters are added, The Dark Side of the Force, There's no happy ending anyway, These happen off-paper for good reason, do not copy to another site, voices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-05-29 16:33:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 76,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19404196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MMPRPink/pseuds/MMPRPink
Summary: A series of one-shots spanning The Rise and Fall of Ahsoka Tano and Katooni series and further expanding this universe.





	1. Meet the In-laws (22 BBY)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the first of several one-shots for The Untold Stories. After the sadness and despair in the last story, thought I'd go for something a little happier. The chapters will be out of chronological order, but I will compile a list of what order they can be read, but it is not necessary. I will clearly state some are set during, between or after episodes or one of my own stories, but I will make it clear.
> 
> We focus on Kaeden meeting Ahsoka's parents: Anakin and Padmé. They did adopt her, so legally she is their daughter. I won't spoil any more.
> 
> Enjoy!

_"My future in-laws are out shopping and plotting my demise, I suppose."_

\- Chelsea Ballinger, _Sinners & Saints_

* * *

Chapter 1: Meet the In-laws

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Year & Scene change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via transmissions, devices and Force Bonds_

* * *

Character Files:

Ahsoka Tano:

Year of Birth: 39 BBY

Age: 17 Years

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Mentor, General of The 332nd Battalion

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte

****

Kaeden Larte:

Year of Birth: 39 BBY

Age: 17 Years

Planet of Origin: Raada, Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Mechanics Apprentice

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano

****

Anakin Skywalker:

Year of Birth: 50 BBY

Age: 28 Years

Planet of Origin: Tatooine, Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Former Mentor, General of The 501st Legion

Year of Marriage: 31 BBY to Padmé Amidala

****

Padmé Amidala-Skywalker:

Year of Birth: 55 BBY

Age: 33 Years

Planet of Origin: Naboo, Mid-Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Queen of Naboo, Representative, Senator

Year of Marriage: 31 BBY to Anakin Skywalker

* * *

_ Year: 22 BBY…_

_Five Months After The Battle of Christophsis… _

_ Evening… _

Canon: _Post-Wrath of the Togruta; Star Wars - The Clone Wars_

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden was lazily flicking through the channels on the holo-vision, while at the same time listening to the commotion her wife: Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, a Togruta from Shili and the famed General of The 332nd Battalion, as well as being known as The Huntress amongst the public. Ahsoka was by the kitchen talking to both her ' _parents_ ' over her comlink, heavily protesting. It is right to say that Ahsoka has parents because they secretly adopted her behind the backs of the Jedi Order - the rule over attachment really annoys Kaeden - it was Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator of Naboo: Padmé Amidala. Kaeden hasn't really met them, Senator Amidala is always in the Senate attending meetings or trying to push new changes, no matter how controversial they are and pressuring the Supreme Chancellor: Palpatine to end the war that is causing so much suffering. The former farmer from Raada has to heavily agree with the senator on that part, the mechanic-in-training always worries if her wife doesn't return home after a campaign and she hates the amount of time she spends away. Ahsoka hates it too, generally loathes being away for so long, the longest last time was three months during The Battle of Christophsis. One of Ahsoka's fears for being away for months at a time, which is pretty petty, but what do you expect from a married woman? She fears Kaeden will fall out of love with her and move on with someone else, because of her past, Ahsoka does not deal with betrayal very well, she has trust and abandonment issues. One can say Tano has a possessive side to her, she guards those she is close to like a Krayt Dragon protecting its treasure. Knight Skywalker is pretty much in the same position as Ahsoka, Kaeden wonders how Padmé deals with it, seeing loved ones go to war. That was when Kaeden turned around, hearing a mortified groaning from Ahsoka, they have may have been married five months now, but Kaeden can tell the difference when her wife is complaining or outright mortified, both even.

"But dad!" Ahsoka argued in the comlink,

 _"No buts, Snips."_ Anakin countered, using Ahsoka's nickname. A nickname he granted her after she came out of her shell, learned to trust people and her true nature came out. The teenage years when she was between thirteen and fifteen almost gave her dad some grey hairs. It then made sense if Ahsoka was Snips, she dubbed her father Skyguy, a pun on his surname. Her mother loves it and wishes she made that up, but she has her own nickname for him: she calls him Ani, like his biological parents did.

"Mom, I know you're listening too! Please back me up!" The Togruta General of the best Clone Battalion begged. Then Kaeden heard Senator Amidala's voice over the comlink.

 _"Sorry Little Akul,"_ Kaeden raised an eyebrow. Little Akul? Is that Ahsoka's other nickname from her adoptive mom? Kaeden has to admit, it's cute and it suits her. _"There's no choice in this and I really want to meet the woman who won my baby's heart."_ The farmer almost choked on her glass water after taking a sip. Did she hear right!? Senator Amidala and Master Jedi Skywalker want to meet her!? For dinner? Where? On 500 Republica? Kaeden swears if she were Force-sensitive, she could feel the panic in this room. Now she understands why Ahsoka is mortified like she's been swallowed by a Sarlaac and managed to crawl back out or spat out even. Ahsoka is going to introduce her to her parents, the Amidala-Skywalker couple, the in-laws, most likely over dinner. There is nothing more terrifying in the galaxy, more terrifying than fighting wars or Sith Lords, Acolytes and even assassins, as well as bounty hunters; meeting the parents of the one you married is the worst-case scenario, especially given who Ahsoka's parents are.

 _"We'll see you and Kaeden tomorrow night, eighteen-hundred sharp at our place. Love ya, Snips."_ Anakin hung up on his side of the call. Ahsoka placed the comlink on the kitchen table, trudging over to Kaeden on the couch and slouched. Kaeden listened as her wife muttered expletives in different languages, between Basic, Togruti, Huttese and Mando'a.

"Remind me to stab my dad and throw him over mom's balcony." She groaned, already feeling a headache. Her dad is going to deliberately scare Kaeden, while her mom will interrogate the Sith Hell out of her. Ahsoka fears her wife is going to have Post-traumatic Stress Disorder after meeting her parents. "Along with making my mom's death look like an assassination gone well.",

"I know you're scared ner cyare, but I do like to meet your parents." Ahsoka has been teaching Kaeden a little Mando'a, it's a beautiful language and has lovely phrases. "Come on, 'Soka. You knew they were going to ask at some point." Kaeden teased,

"You have a valid point, cyar'ika." She muttered. That was when Kaeden shifted, now straddling Ahsoka. A bold smirk was seen on Kaeden's face while she noticed a lustful gleam in Tano's eyes. The married couple locked their lips together, passionately moaning, in which Kaeden began to softly grind against Ahsoka's hips. Not liking the idea of making love on the couch, Ahsoka lifted Kaeden bridal style, bringing her to their double bed and shutting the door behind them.

_ Meanwhile… _

( _Scene: Padmé's Apartment, 500 Republica, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

After hanging up on his Togruta daughter, who is over at her wife's apartment, Anakin seemed pretty proud of himself. Ever since Ahsoka shared her secret about being married to the girl, he was proud of his little Snips and his own wife, his Angel Padmé, was so happy for that she found someone who will love her. While it is a pain because Ahsoka is now stuck in the same trap as him, keeping her relationship a secret from the Jedi Order, even from Obi-wan, Plo Koon and Shaak Ti, Barriss Offee included. She even has to keep it from her own Padawan Learner: Katooni, which irritates her quite a bit. Katooni managed to find her own way to earn Snips' trust and respect. Prior before they got married, Anakin recalled the number of times Ahsoka, when she was his Padawan, asked his permission to leave the temple grounds or simply snuck out. It was to meet this girl Kaeden Larte and then they got married before The Clone Wars broke out. Anakin has to admit, he is internally impressed with this woman. It took him a few months to get Ahsoka to trust him and open up, he doesn't know what sorcery Kaeden used on his daughter. He also knows Snips is not one to easily open up, emotionally specifically, her past still haunts her and it still makes Anakin angry. First: he's angry at her so-called biological parents, Chief Azure Tano and his wife Maya Ti-Tano; Maya turns out to be Master Shaak Ti's sister, which makes her the biological aunt of Ahsoka Tano. Shaak told him and Plo that it is best if Ahsoka did not know this. Anyways, Azure and Maya decided to abandon Ahsoka when she was four years old, made her an outcast when her Force-sensitivity was discovered. The tribe doesn't like Force-sensitives. They simply left her! It's no wonder his daughter developed abandonment issues, on top of trust issues, both an ongoing problem he is trying to tackle with Padmé's help. One of the things she suggested to the young Togruta was to speak to a counsellor or go see the temple Mind Healers, but of course, Ahsoka shot down the idea, told her she was fine now that she has Kaeden. Anakin can tell, even when he is yet to meet the woman, that Kaeden has become some kind of emotional crutch, an anchor for his adopted daughter. The second reason she developed trust issues is that… she was almost sold into slavery, if it weren't for him, Master Plo and Ti, Ahsoka would have been lost and the rest of her life would be spent as a gladiator. That sleemo from Nar Shaada got away, he's still running his fighting ring, but he left empty-handed. Anakin was glad they saved his daughter from such a terrible and horrible fate. His own parents are slaves, he is not sure what happened to them now, hasn't been in contact since he became a Jedi; but alas, they were serving under Watto, a trade dealer. Being a slave to a trade dealer is a much better mercy than those serving a heartless Master who trains slaves to fight to the death. The price that pirate put on her, well… it was the price the buyer was willing to pay for her: fifty thousand credits, broken up into three different currencies, it literally made him throw up in the refresher on the ship back to the temple. Fifty thousand credits for an eight-year-old because she can already fight and Anakin wouldn't be surprised if they figured out she was Force-sensitive, kriff! She killed four fully grown men before they tied her down.

Walking over to Padmé who was sitting at the table doing some paperwork, she moved over after having filled her quota on teasing her daughter about her wife. Anakin and her are already scheming on how to scare Kaeden… maybe not scare, either make her sweat or just embarrass them. What do you expect? It's what parents do. Anakin and Padmé never had any regrets adopting Ahsoka, as soon as the Togruta clung to Padmé, back when she was ten, they both knew they had to sign the adoption papers and give Ahsoka the family she deserved and needed. Anakin swore if he ever sets his eyes on Azure and Maya, he will not have a problem punching either of them. Of course, this is behind the backs of the Jedi Order, no one knows about this adoption process they completed, as it also falls under the rules of attachment. There might be a slim chance Plo and Shaak, even Obi-wan and Katooni may suspect, but so far, they haven't said anything. It's not surprising with Shaak however, she is Ahsoka's biological aunt and she's keeping that a secret as well. Back to Ahsoka's biological parents, they treated Ahsoka like she was nothing, made her feel worthless, forced her to survive and made her miss out on what it is to be a normal child. He can never forgive them for that and neither can Padmé, she was furious when she heard the story from Ahsoka herself. Next, Anakin was suddenly jolted from his thoughts when he felt something through his and Ahsoka's Force bond. They decided not to break it after she was knighted, which is something the Council expected to happen, Anakin was fine with it; Ahsoka needed a form of security and he is that security. Unfortunately, when one forgets to close one side of the bond when things go on… well… what he felt through the bond was excitement and pleasure and…

"Force damn it, Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled out loud, causing Padmé to become distracted from her work. "Close your kriffing bond!" Clutching his head with one hand, then his prosthetic leaning on the chair to keep himself from collapsing; Anakin was visibly shuddering. He's going to have to bleach his brain and maybe even wash his mouth with soap, gouging his eyes out is even a better option or just set himself on fire. Great, now he can't get the image out his head.

"Something wrong, Ani?",

"Yes!" He exclaimed, "Our innocent, little child, is having sex with our daughter-in-law." His statement made his wife chuckle, but she was slightly shuddering herself. Maybe giving her Little Akul ' _The Talk_ ' when she turned fifteen was not the brightest idea, particularly when she experienced her first menstrual cycle; Ahsoka was a bit of a late bloomer. "And we're meeting her tomorrow for dinner! This will haunt me for the rest of my life. She shouldn't know about sexual intercourse! I haven't given her ' _The Talk_ '!",

"I might have covered that with her, Ani." Padmé smirked, "She was well informed since her fifteenth birthday. By right, she is an adult and female Togruta physiology is exactly like human females. So don't worry about unexpected grandchildren.",

"Fifteen!?" Anakin screeched in an exaggerated manner, his voice raising an octave higher than normal. "Force, Padmé! She was only a baby!",

"You can't protect her from everything, dear. Besides, she's very much like you. A 'slash first, ask questions later if you're still alive' kind of person.",

"She's still our baby daughter." Whimpered Anakin, now bringing up his mental wall after feeling his daughter reach her… he's not even going to go there. He won't be surprised if they're still going, Ahsoka has a stamina of a Rancor and an Akul combined. Force help him tomorrow night. He's just going to go to bed and weep, though he feels like a hypocrite because he had a few nights like that with Padmé. It's different with his daughter though! This is his baby girl! Yes, Anakin will definitely be crying in bed, all the while trying to forget what he was feeling through the bond. Now, a part of him wishes to break it so he would never, ever feel this again!

_ Next Day… _

_ Evening… _

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden paced the room, while at the same time glaring at her wardrobe. She was trying to pick out something to wear, something nice and respectable, something that would give a good impression to her wife's parents! The mechanic instantly wants to take back her statements from last night in an attempt to calm down Ahsoka, oh how the table has turned, now she's the one high key freaking out to the point Kaeden might die of a heart attack. Given who the in-laws are: a well-respected senator and a Jedi Knight who literally raised her darling wife since her preteens; Senator Amidala could possibly ruin her entire life or use her influence and wealth to send a bounty hunter after her. Then there's Knight Skywalker who will just outright skewer her with his lightsaber, no questions asked. Even if she tried to run from him, there would be no place in the galaxy she can hide from him! If she gives the wrong impression, it's going to be either her entire life and career as a future mechanic ruined by the sabotage of a senator, assassination by the order of that same senator or being carried away in a body bag. This is all in defence of their daughter who's already been traumatised by enough crap in her life, that even a professional counsellor will need counselling of his/her own! The woman raised on Raada may be exaggerating a little, but going by the descriptions she heard from 'Soka, her exaggeration is with justifiable reasoning, when it comes to their daughter, Senator Amidala and Jedi Knight Skywalker can and will cause some or a lot of damage; it will be great mercy if they spare her life.

Ahsoka, on the other hand, seems very chill about the whole situation, even though she is kind of nervous as well. Just unlike Kaeden, she is not showing her worry yet… yet being the keyword. The Togruta Jedi Knight will tackle that problem when it comes, just roll with the punches like Anakin taught her. Therefore, to distract herself, Ahsoka was playing a video game on her datapad, some kind of fast-paced, first-person shooter called _DOOM_ and she has to admit, it's fun. There's something satisfying about mowing down a large group of demons coming through the portals of Sith Hell and Ahsoka loves using the BFG (Big Fucking Gun) on the Hellspawn, only disadvantage: the BFG's small clip size, three shots only. Another game she plays in her spare time is _Wolfenstein: The New Order_ , a game set in an alternate galaxy where the Separatists won The Clone Wars and then the Confederacy of Independent Systems joined together to form an Empire. This only left nothing but pockets of resistance to rebel against the regime and you play as the protagonist named Sergeant BJ Blazkowicz, a former Clone Commando who survived the military mission on Death's Head. If shooting down demons is satisfying, the same feeling is felt when gunning down Seppies, if you're not playing stealthily. Without warning, the data pad was ripped from her grasp, followed by a surprising sharp slap to the face by a distressed and angry Kaeden.

"OW! What the kriff was that for!?" Ahsoka complained, rubbing her left cheek, still feeling the stinging sensation.

"You are unbelievable! Will you help me!?" Kaeden half-yelled, "I'm meeting your parents in two hours! I need to look decent!",

"Will you relax? If you show up on my parents' doorstep wearing your farming clothes, you'll still be respectable." Kaeden's face scrunched. Wrong answer.

"AHSOKA TANO-AMIDALA-SKYWALKER!" The Jedi Knight flinched when Kaeden used all three surnames, which indicates she is in deep shit at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Kaeden." Ahsoka replied, her coming across that her apology has meaning. "It's a natural reaction to be scared of meeting one's family, given… who mine are." The statement made her wife giggle lightly, feeling a little bit lighter and at ease about meeting the Amidala-Skywalker couple, her in-laws. Kaeden still can't help but feel nervous, it's their high status in society that scares her, she's nothing special, though her wife sees differently. The older Larte sibling is just a lowly mechanic-in-training, coming from a farming background which paid well enough, enough to get her an apprenticeship here in the Core Region. "Hey, listen to me ner cyare, the worst my parents can do is embarrass us. They will naturally go all mom and dad mode, if they embarrass you, I'm going down with you too.",

"Have I ever told you I love you?" Asked Kaeden,

"To the point, I lost count and five months into our marriage." The Togruta answered, giving a smug look that is almost similar to Anakin's. Like father, like daughter they say. Getting up from the bed, Ahsoka walked over to Kaeden's wardrobe and pulled out a simple purple dress with thin straps. "I've always liked purple on you. Now get ready, I'll get the speeder up and running." The Jedi Knight gave her wife a quick peck on the cheek before exiting the room to get the keys to the speeder that she owns, courtesy of her mother whenever she needs to get around Coruscant.

_ One Hour Thirty Minutes Later… _

( _Scene: Padmé's Apartment, 500 Republica, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Padmé was bustling around in the kitchen, wearing a dark blue evening dress with Threepio (C-3PO) helping too, to make sure everything is in order, along with last-minute preparations for her daughter and her daughter-in-law. The dinner wasn't burning, so that's a start, it would not do good if the bantha steaks went up in flames. The piece of steak for Ahsoka was set to the side and to be reheated, as Togrutas are a carnivorous species, the steak looks cooked on the outside, but the inside is pretty much raw; the other three steaks are slowly cooking right through. Anakin was dressed in his Jedi apparel, minus his armour, he was pretty sure Ahsoka would be the same. They keep their armour in their rooms, Anakin did suddenly feel lonely without Ahsoka sharing his space, back in the days when he was her teacher and she was his student. Ahsoka has recently moved to the new quarters that she shares with Katooni. Knight Skywalker knew as soon as Katooni stepped off that shuttle on Christophsis, he partly guessed she was neither going to be his Padawan or Obi-wan's, she was going be Ahsoka's; as much as she didn't want one, the Tholothian was going to be a good match for his daughter. Sure, she was a bit snarky, still is and has her own level of snippiness, Katooni is well and able to keep up with his daughter and adapt to some of the habits she rubbed off from him. He found it great that Ahsoka was being back answered, in fact, he called it karma when his daughter's true nature came out when she hit that Force awful teenage years. Anakin can recall the number of times he argued with her, she fought with Padmé sometimes and his wife had to ground her! He had to confiscate her lightsaber on a few occasions, which was before she decided to focus on Jar'Kai when she hit fifteen. Those teenage years were a bit of a nightmare and he would gladly forget about them, even Ahsoka when she thought back to those years. She even admitted that she was a bit of a brat and a pain in the backside, she was even mortified at her attitude. However, Anakin could see the real reason Yoda assigned Katooni to his Togruta daughter, Ahsoka has her struggles with attachment, you can't blame her because of what she went through in her early not-so childhood years; Katooni was there to teach his daughter responsibility, to quell her reckless tendencies and learn to let go. Too bad it has now gloriously backfired, a few weeks after rescuing his droid Artoo (R2-D2) from General Grievous' clutches, Katooni began to question about her Master's history, her past. He was reluctant to tell because it was Ahsoka's story to tell, not his, but the snippy and snarky little Padawan insisted, her stubbornness outdoing his and Anakin gave in.

Once he told the story to Ahsoka's Padawan, still leaving out certain bits of information such as Jedi Master Shaak Ti being her aunt, Katooni saw her Master in a new light. On the outside, Ahsoka is the most fearless and bravest Jedi/General the entire galaxy has ever seen, an excellent leader, pilot and strategist, someone who cares about her men; MEN, not Clones, her battalion are men and they have names. She always tells them, even to new recruits who joined The 332nd Battalion, they are not just numbers, they are more than that; they are people too, they have a voice. Clones are people, not mass produced flesh droids. He treats his men of The 501st Legion the same way, as does Obi-wan with the 212th Attack Battalion and Plo Koon's 104th. Back to Katooni, so far, she has kept her promise that she will not give any indication to her Master that she knows about her past; her Master maybe fearless on the outside, but the inside is a different story. On the inside, Ahsoka still feels broken, she is still collecting the shards, still recovering; the way her parents abandoned her traumatised her, the way the pirates treated her has left her wary of trusting people. Force, Ahsoka has developed a powerful Force Shield she can call on whenever she wants, even Master Yoda struggles to break through it, not only is she protecting herself, she's others from her mind; she didn't want them to see how broken she is. Ahsoka would rather suffer in silence than open up and seek help, it's no wonder Anakin spent weeks, or even a few months trying to get through to her without breaking her shields; though he couldn't if he tried his hardest. Katooni compares her shield to a Mandalorian Iron wall. The rest of the Council didn't like the idea of letting a Padawan have a shield that powerful and wanted to combine their Force abilities to break it, but he along with Plo and Shaak fiercely objected to such an action and Obi-wan attempted to reason that it was not a good idea to subject an eight-year-old to such pain. Anakin would love to punch Windu and Tiin and he feels the war made them even stiffer than usual.

"Ani!" Padmé called out, "Can you set the table?",

"Sure." He answered back and proceeded to head over to the cupboard where the plates are stored. The cutlery is below it. Anakin pulled out four plates, along with four steak knives and forks, the Jedi Knight began to mull over the thought if he could get away with stabbing Kaeden if he felt she wasn't good enough for Ahsoka. Yet… then again, if he did that, Ahsoka would make sure he becomes one with the Force too. Of course, he could use what he was feeling through their bond as blackmail, the thought of it still gives him shivers. Anakin admits he will be drinking a lot of Aldaarian wine or Corellian Whiskey is good enough. That doesn't mean though he is going to be easy on this Kaeden Larte girl, he wants to know the ins and out of the Loth-cat's ass, all ranging from how they met, how she broke through his daughter's walls, what her intentions are with Ahsoka and then… he will pull her to the side while Padmé distracts her daughter. Padmé will be a little kinder with Kaeden, Anakin is offering no such luxury, while he would like to have his lightsaber clipped to his belt, his wife confiscated it for the night and no doubt Ahsoka's wife did the same; hostilities or not, tonight's dinner is not ending in a bloodbath. As soon as the table was set, the doorbell rang, Threepio ran off to open it. It didn't take the droid long to reenter with the guests.

"Master Skywalker! Your daughter is here with Miss Larte." Threepio hasn't copped on they're married. Padmé stepped out of the kitchen when Ahsoka and a shy, nervous-looking Kaeden Larte-Tano entered the room. The senator hugged her daughter, while Anakin stood at the side eyeing the young girl from Raada. Learning a few things about Raada, he can tell she is of farming background, Snips always had an eye for women with humble beginnings. Ahsoka was only sixteen when she finally came out, admitting to both him and Padmé that she is gay. Anakin and Padmé told her they were proud that she came out, it's a scary thing to say to parents and they will still love her all the same and Anakin often teased Ahsoka if they were any women she liked. Kaeden brought out her hand to shake Padmé's.

"Senator Amidala, lovely to meet you. I'm Kaeden Larte.",

"I'm so glad to finally meet you." Padmé responded in the same tone, accepting Kaeden's hand. "Please, no need to be so formal. Padmé is just fine." The senator turned to Threepio. "Threepio, please make sure the food is not burning and start heating up Ahsoka's steak.",

"Of course milady." Threepio toddled off to the kitchen. Then Ahsoka pointed to her Anakin.

"Kaeden, this is my dad, Anakin Skywalker." The fellow Jedi Knight stiffly brought out his right hand, the one that replaced his forearm after it was severed courtesy of Count Dooku (Darth Tyrannus). Ahsoka still blames herself for it because she was reckless, as well as impatient because she wanted to go back to Kaeden to get married.

"Master Skywalker." Greeted Kaeden, "An honour it is meet you.",

"It's nice to meet you too, Larte." He could feel Ahsoka glaring at him through their bond. Usually, when Anakin calls someone by their surname, it means they haven't earned his respect yet, earn his respect, only then he will call you by your first name. "Dinner is almost ready, how about we take our seats?" He gestured to the dining table that was set up, candles and all. As Kaeden and Ahsoka walked past him, the bond opened up again.

 _"Skyguy! If you scare my wife, I swear to the Force I will end up joining the Dark Side and will murder you out of spite!"_ She was predatorily growling through the bond.

 _"Okay, first: you do not joke about that kind of thing as a Jedi. Second: I'm protecting you, Snips."_ ,

 _"I don't need protection! I wouldn't have married her otherwise! I love her, dad. Please don't ruin this!"_ ,

 _"I will be on my best behaviour, but I'm not making promises. I just want what is best for you."_ There was a loud slamming sound. He internally sighed, Ahsoka threw up her Mandalorian Iron wall again. Once they entered the dining room, Ahsoka used all her self-control to block out her dad's silent snickering as she pulled out Kaeden's chair for her to sit on. In Anakin's perspective, he has never seen Ahsoka so mannerly, it seems like his daughter-in-law has managed to put in a few brakes on his adopted child. Feeling through the Force, despite feeling Snips' nervousness, her overall Force Signature was lighter, quite a difference compared to when she stands before the High Jedi Council; it appears Kaeden acts as some kind of anchor for Ahsoka or keeping her balanced. It just further goes to show how outdated the Jedi Code is, seeing his daughter look so happy and himself with Padmé, the code is just screaming to be revised or certain rules lifted, like the one on attachment. He and Ahsoka spat on the code, it's no wonder they both feel like the black sheep of Jedi Order. Though Anakin came into the Order at the permitted age for all Younglings, Ahsoka didn't come till she was eight! Despite the difference… they both felt like outcasts in the temple and to get through each day, they had each other, Obi-wan, Padmé was giving him support in a low key manner, even to the Togruta she grew fond of. This is why he's being a little hostile towards Kaeden, he wants to see if the woman truly loves his daughter and that she is not using her in any way or toying with her feelings. When Ahsoka trusts someone, once it goes far enough, that person is allowed into her inner circle, break her trust and it will shatter her, then it is three steps back on her trust issues. Anakin swears to the Force if this former farmer hurts her, he's going to kill her, but not before letting his former Padawan's battalion have a piece of her; i.e.: beat the living shit out of her. The boys are just as protective of their General if they heard someone hurt her well… let's just say Akul Squadron go on a bloodlust hunting rampage. Padmé entered with a bottle of wine, followed by Threepio with the food. As the droid Anakin built served the food, giving Ahsoka's steak first, Padmé poured the wine into the glasses, then proceeded to take her seat beside Anakin. The four of them dug into the bantha steaks while having the odd sip of wine. Ten minutes passed and Anakin decided to break the silence. "So, how did you meet my daughter?" Kaeden swallowed the piece of steak before answering.

"That's a funny story. I actually walked right into her on the streets. I was registering for my apprenticeship and got lost in this city.",

"I brought her to the mechanic's guild after I bought her food as an apology for walking into her." Ahsoka slightly blushed, recalling that memory. It certainly had to be the will of the Force for the two of them to run into each other. It was certainly fate and they are meant to be.

"I see." Anakin simply said, subtly raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of his wine. Padmé noticed her husband's suspicious tone and knew he was going to scare their daughter-in-law if he keeps this up. Then no doubt, her Little Akul will murder him. Being careful with her movement underneath the table, Padmé kicked Anakin's ankle, causing him to choke on his glass of wine. The pain shot up his leg. _"Force! Padmé has one hell of a kick!"_ He thought. "Sorry." Anakin cleared his throat, "My wine went down the wrong pipe." He only said that to save his dignity. Wonderful, Padmé is ganging up on him while Ahsoka is giving him death glares, with the threat over his head that she will join the Dark Side, just so she can murder him for the embarrassment.

"What made you decide to move from Raada, Kaeden?" Padmé questioned, being a much nicer than her dear husband, who looks to be out for the daughter-in-law's blood. Sometimes, his overprotectiveness can be overbearing, but it stems from the fact he grew very attached to Ahsoka and she was the same. At that time in their early days, there were challenges and he eventually got Ahsoka to trust him. From then on, it was always Anakin and Ahsoka, Skyguy and Snips versus the galaxy, the two always talked of figuring out ways to end slavery and eradicate pirate gangs. Slavery is a sensitive subject for both them, Anakin got away because the Jedi found him, her daughter wasn't so lucky and was close to being sold as a gladiator. It was kept in her notes at the side, Padmé had a lot of work to do to completely abolish slavery and make sure it is enforced in the Mid and Outer Rims and pressure will need to be put on Hutt Space.

"I want to be a mechanic, farming didn't feel like the type of vocation for me. I always loved building or tinkering with machinery.",

"You're a bit like my Ani here. If he's not building something, he's modifying his Eta-1 Fighter.",

"Which I'm surprised he hasn't crashed yet." Ahsoka smirked, knowing how many crash landings he has made, before and in the middle of the war.

"It's not my fault, it's the ship!" Anakin countered, "Last time I checked, you crashed a few ships yourself, Snips." The fellow Jedi Knight followed up with a playful insult. "Annoying Togruta.",

"Arrogant human." The Togruta back answered. "Remember who beat you on _Space Race_ and beat your high score on _Need For Podracing_." This made Anakin pout, remembering his hard-earned high scores were outdone. Padmé on the other hand just sighed at their antics.

"Sometimes, I like to delude myself that I'm surrounded by adults, then I realise I am surrounded by children.",

"She's talking about you!" Both father and daughter pointed at each other. The exclamation from both of them made Kaeden chuckle lightly, it was fascinating to see the father-daughter bond. Kaeden knew Anakin was just looking out for her wife, his protectiveness is justified, given what Ahsoka told her of her past and she was certain there were details left out. The Raada civilian only got the nuts and bolts, the life her wife went through wasn't happy, no person in the galaxy should ever experience what Ahsoka went through. Her own parents, her tribe on Shilli made her an outcast, she was forced to survive for four years before being captured by pirates, only to be so close to being sold into a life as a slave fighter. It made Kaeden angry that her wife was treated literally like bantha fodder, it's no wonder the mechanic-in-training tries so hard to gradually lower Ahsoka's walls; clearly, her past left its trauma and scars. Kaeden also knows her beloved suffers from nightmares, all because of what happened to her and it's no wonder Ahsoka finds it difficult to trust. Kaeden Larte still wonders what she did that Ahsoka trusts her much, to love and so far to propose to her. Kaeden Larte-Tano has no regrets saying yes, it was the happiest moment for not just her, but Ahsoka too, she firmly believed it was the first time her cyare felt true joy and happiness, love; not pain, abandonment and suffering. It wasn't long before dinner concluded, Padmé asked Ahsoka to help her gather the dishes and to get the dessert in the kitchen. While gathering the plates, the Jedi Knight gave her dad one more warning glare before disappearing into the kitchen with her mom. Anakin waited another few seconds before deciding the coast was clear.

"Kaeden, can I speak to you on the balcony?" The mechanic was almost taken aback that Master Jedi Skywalker called her by her first name, compared to what happened an hour ago. Getting herself together, Kaeden silently nodded, standing up and followed her father-in-law to the balcony, overlooking Coruscant's bustling air traffic. Standing beside Anakin, Kaeden looked out, _The City That Never Sleeps_ , what do the people be doing that keeps them up all night? Partying? Drinking? Gambling? Kaeden wouldn't be surprised if there were brothels down in the lower levels and no doubt bounty hunters looking for their next assignment that pays well. "You know I'm just looking out for her, right?" Anakin said, making Kaeden turn to face him. Her brown eyes staring right into his blue.

"I know." Answered Kaeden, "You're her dad. It's a father's first instincts to protect his daughter.",

"Did Ahsoka tell you what she went through before I brought her to the temple?" The Knight asked,

"Ahsoka told me three months into our marriage. It was just the nuts and bolts, I know there are details she left out and I'm not going to pry until she's ready.",

"I like that aspect of you, Kaeden. You're close to my daughter, but you will respect her space and privacy if needs be." Her father-in-law told her. "Here's a scenario. If I said you weren't good enough for my daughter, as much as she loves you; would you break up with her because of my orders?" Kaeden snorted slightly and gave Anakin a bold smirk. Anakin could see she rubbed off a few things from his child.

"I think Ahsoka would convince me to elope with her instead." Her reply made Anakin let out a light laugh.

"That sounds like my daughter alright. You're a good match for her, Kaeden. Ahsoka is finally experiencing what it is to be happy, to be loved and above all: trust." Anakin said, "Trust was something Ahsoka always struggled with, it is why she is scared to open up, except to a select few. To see her so happy now… what I'm trying to say is: I approve of your relationship and I'm proud to be your father-in-law. I can safely say Padmé is the same.",

"Thank you, Anakin. That means a lot." Kaeden said gratefully, "Though something tells me, unlike you, even Padmé is just as protective, only more low key.",

"Padmé has a blaster hidden in a secret compartment in her desk and she kept her Noobian Royal Blaster attached to her thigh under her dress." Kaeden almost went pale at the thought, but judging by Anakin's tone, he was being serious, as well as being too casual. Throughout the whole dinner, her mother-in-law was armed! No wonder she didn't see his lightsaber clipped to his belt. "If it wasn't me who killed you, my wife certainly would have.",

"I'm glad Ahsoka has family who genuinely cares about her. She now has a sense of togetherness rather than being a lone survivor.",

"The 332nd are her family too, as well as her Padawan Learner Katooni. I'm beginning to notice Snips is really growing." There was fondness in Anakin's voice, Kaeden could hear that. Her wife really has come so far, rising above all the challenges that stood in her way. "You are aware of the rule about attachment, correct?" Kaeden nodded in response. She hates that rule with a vengeance, it's the one thing she hates about the Jedi Order. "You and Ahsoka are in the same trap as myself and Padmé. Be very careful of your interactions and be discreet. One false move, it will all come crashing.",

"I understand. It's the one thing I never understood about the-" Kaeden was interrupted when Padmé called out to her and Anakin.

"Dessert is ready!" Turning away from the balcony, both Anakin and Kaeden rejoined the table, taking her place beside Ahsoka. There was a subtle look of worry on her face in case something bad was said, but Kaeden reassured her wife by squeezing her hand under the table and giving a soft smile. As the four of them ate dessert, Padmé almost forgot to ask the important question. "Can I see the ring?" Kaeden made no objections. She took off the necklace that held the Akul bone wedding ring that her wife carved by hand and that it fit perfectly, that explains why Ahsoka asked for her ring size. Kaeden wears the ring around her neck than traditionally on her wedding finger because questions would be asked and it will jeopardise Ahsoka's standing in the Order and her place as General within the GAR (The Grand Army of the Republic). The war can't afford to lose its best General, especially one of the famous 332nd, then the public will be in an outrage if word spreads that The Huntress is nowhere to be seen. Padmé and Anakin were examining the ring, as well as admiring it; they both loved the uniqueness of the ring and its level of simplicity, no precious gemstone required for it, just a simple carved pattern. "It's beautiful." Padmé handed back the ring. "Just to let you know, you are a good match for our daughter. Keep making her happy." The four adults clinked their wine glasses together, enjoying the rest of the night as a family. Well… that didn't last long until Anakin dropped one more bombshell on them.

"Do me a favour, next time you have sex with my daughter, make sure she closes her Force bond. I don't want to feel her pleasure again." His statement took both lovers off guard. Kaeden choked on her wine, coughing and heavily blushing, Ahsoka was being a sputtering mess, her lekku turning a deep shade of navy while Padmé slapped her husband upside on the head. Ahsoka finally got herself together and yelled at her dad.

"DAD! WHAT THE FLYING KRIFF!?"

_Fin_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Ner: My/Mine

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular

Cyar'ika: Darling/Sweetheart


	2. Wrongdoing (6 BBY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delve into the mind of Darth Véurr, as the light inside begins to grow weaker with each passing year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is another digestible one-shot. Kind of short, but I guess that is the point of it. So we delve in Véurr's mind and I won't say any more.
> 
> Since the chapters will be out of chronological order, I decided to put the year the chapter is set with the title. In your own time, if I do finish this, you can read the chapters in proper order if you so wish.
> 
> I don't own the verses used below. They belong to Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams who both wrote the song: 'One Thing'.
> 
> Enjoy.

_"Everything you've worked for can go to waste with only one wrong decision."_

\- Auliq Ice

* * *

Chapter 2: Wrongdoing

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Year & Scene change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via transmissions, devices and Force Bonds_

**Bold: Flashbacks/Dreams/Nightmares**

**_Bold/Italics: Voices from Force Ghosts/Visions_ **

* * *

Character Files:

Ahsoka Tano/Darth Véurr:

Age: 33 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili; Expansion Region

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Knight, Sith Apprentice, Right hand of the Emperor, General of The 332nd Stormtrooper Battalion

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte (Died in 19 BBY; according to sources)

* * *

_ Year: 6 BBY _

Canon: _The Raada Massacre; Pre-Star Wars Rebels_

( _Scene: Inside Véurr's Conscience, Location Indescribable, Galaxy-38_ )

Darkness. That was what all she could see. Darkness. It was endless, it expanded in all directions with no end, if she could walk, she may just go in aimless circles. How can she walk anyway? Her hands are bound by chains, pulled down towards the floor forcing her to take on a kneeling position. The figure that was kneeling had orange skin, blue and white lekku and had white markings on her face, also to note: her eyes were sapphire-blue. The Togruta chained up, her name is Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi Knight, General of The 332nd Battalion, daughter of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala-Skywalker and formed Master of Katooni. Ahsoka stared at the crystal, clear cut visual the darkness is showing her, watching through Darth Véurr's eyes as she ruthlessly cuts down the innocent civilians of Raada, who became rebel sympathisers. Ahsoka now remembers why she is in this position, she willingly chose to fall to the Dark Side, to gain the power to protect her loved one, her wife: Kaeden Larte. She deluded herself with the belief that someone out there in the galaxy was after her, to kill her; the Force gave her a vision of that future. Yoda always told her the future was always in motion, that it is never set in stone or if that is what the Force foresees, then that it is its will and let go. Ahsoka couldn't let Kaeden go, she loved her too much, the mechanic was her anchor, her balance, the former farmer gave her reasons to fight and live, especially during The Clone Wars. The Togruta would go to the end of the universe for her, so no, she could not just let the love of her life die. She could not accept death as a part of the natural order of the life cycle. Tano spent a lot of her time after rescuing the Chancellor holed up in the archives, scouring through every section her rank let her have access to, to find ways to keep someone safe or some Force technique, even a forbidden or lost art to bring the dead back to life; she even researched any references in the holo-books kept in what was Kaeden's apartment. She even begged the archivist Jocasta Nu if she could have access to the Forbidden Section, where all the holocrons were stored, such power locked behind an impenetrable vault, but was denied access and only a Jedi Master and/or Council Member, Jedi Grand Master included, is only permitted into the vaults. Running out of leads, Ahsoka grew more and more desperate, easily agitated, all the warning signs she was heading on a mental downward spiral.

 _"I won't let this dream become real. I will keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."_ Turning her gaze away from the visual of Véurr slaughtering innocents, Ahsoka saw herself holding Kaeden in her arms. She was embracing her wife in an effort to comfort her. It was that very promise that totally consumed her, making her even more vulnerable to Palpatine's subtle manipulations; weaving his way deep inside her head. Perhaps he was even manipulating her as far as back when he introduced himself to her and Anakin, they first met when she was eleven or twelve years old; he had taken an… interest in her. She thought he was a kindly politician, uncorrupt, want only what is best for the Republic even if his actions and decisions are questionable at best, but Ahsoka always backed him because he was her friend, he was like an uncle to her. Palpatine always had his door open for her, to lend an ear when something she struggled with, the Jedi gave her no straight answer for, he listened to her frustrations about the Order, the High Jedi Council and emotions of feeling like an outcast. Ahsoka opened up to him about her past, told him about her tribe, how her parents abandoned her, exiled her and so close to being sold into slavery, she literally entrusted him with everything, including her marriage to Kaeden Larte and her adoption by the Amidala-Skywalker couple. The Togruta of Shili trusted the Sith Lord with everything. Was she that blind herself? It was not only the Jedi who couldn't see who Palpatine truly was, but even she also did not know, Sheev Palpatine must have died long ago, leaving only Darth Sidious to imitate him. Ahsoka and Darth Véurr are a different story, her Dark Side wants nothing to do with her, it is keeping her trapped, unable to move and unable to fight back, because she can't. Ahsoka is too weak, Véurr has grown in strength and power over the last thirteen years, the shadow tendrils coiling around her body like venomous snakes have already consumed half her body. Any bit of light is being slowly consumed, buried by the darkness, it will only be time when the Light is completely gone, snuffed out like someone blowing out a candle. The Jedi Knight raised her head, watching Véurr burst into a house with two members of The 332nd, it sickened Ahsoka to see what has become of her battalion, they've become murderers; inside was a family, a father, a mother who is pregnant and a child no more than four years old, their first born. There was fear evident in their eyes, the father held his child with a blaster in hand, he quickly fired at Darth Véurr and her two Stormtroopers, both the troopers died, but Ahsoka watched as Véurr blocked the attacks. They had nowhere to escape but the window, it wasn't long when the breaking of glass was heard, the visual shifted, the gaze was set on a young woman, another rebel. This girl had a similar resemblance to Kaeden, dark skin, brown hair, maybe a little shorter than her wife and appeared to be in her early thirties or turned thirty not too long ago. Looking through Véurr's gaze, see everything in red through the Head-Up Display (HUD), all the Sith did was stand and stare.

 _"Miara! Take Freya and go!"_ The window wasn't big enough for all three and the escape route through the front door was cut off by her- no! By Darth Véurr. Ahsoka struggled against her chains, she may have killed Younglings, innocent civilians, but it is the lowest of the low to kill a childbearing woman. Sensing her struggle, the chains tightened, the shadow tendrils coiled around her even more; the pain shot through and Ahsoka, she was forced to stop, it is a sign that Véurr is in complete control of her body. She's the one in charge, not Ahsoka Tano, the weaker half. Tears were heard as the toddler Freya cried out, as she was handed to a reluctant Miara who crying too, knowing she cannot save the child's parents. The familiar snap-hiss of a single blood crimson lightsaber was heard, as Lady Véurr approached the parents and Ahsoka couldn't fight back to stop the action she about to commit. The Sith Lady raised her sabre, ignoring the footsteps heard outside as Miara fled, the Stormtroopers will kill her.

"I'm sorry." Cried Ahsoka, as the dying screams of Freya's parents filled the air, the surrounding darkness. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me! I'm so sorry." She muttered this over and over again. She just killed a father, then killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child, Freya's little brother or sister; perhaps twins even. That was when another voice was heard.

 ** _"You must be reminded how you brought yourself to this, my child."_** This voice sounded ancient, wise yet… evil, like… the embodiment of the Dark Side itself. **_"Let me show you."_** Darth Véurr was about to return to the battlefield after stepping out of the house, only for her eyes… not eyes, her HUD picked up something. Strolling over, her mind taken away from the ensuing battle, she stopped upon a stone, not any stone, it was a gravestone. The stone was carved from fine rock, marble most likely, there was writing carved into it and Ahsoka's heart dropped when she saw the carving in Galactic Basic. She remembers now.

_"Here Lies_

_Kaeden Larte_

_39 BBY - 19 BBY_

_Age 20_

_She will be missed by those who loved her"_

No one knew or realised she was married. If she still lived, Kaeden would have been the same age as her, thirty-three years old. She died too young. It's not fair. Life and fate wasn't fair on either of them. What did she do to upset the Force to deserve this fate!? Still watching, Véurr felt solemn all of a sudden, her hand running across the marble gravestone. If there was one thing Ahsoka and Darth Véurr shared, it is their love for Kaeden Larte. Her wife is the reason she took such extreme measures to protect her, for that is what her name translates to Darth Véurr - the Dark Protector. Moving her head, Ahsoka heard Darth Sidous' voice, she couldn't see it, the memory must be replaying, echoing behind her.

 _"Lady Véurr. Can you hear me?"_ Breathing, the haunting mechanical breathing.

 _"Yes, Master."_ Then the dreaded question that unleashed the chains that hold Ahsoka followed. Even though Véurr was born after her defeat, the chains were not yet set in. It is because of this, she is now. _"Where is Kaeden? Is she safe? Is she alright?"_ ,

 _"I'm afraid… you were too late. The Jedi, specifically Anakin Skywalker killed her."_ ,

 _"No. NO! SHE WAS ALIVE! I FELT IT!"_ The strength from the new, but outdated cybernetics broke the clasps that her on the operating table. " _NO!"_ Even then, a part of Ahsoka still fights, she regretted her decisions too late, but the dark voice has reminded her of why she did this. Anakin Skywalker, her adopted father killed her wife Kaeden Larte, killed her on the fiery planet of Mustafar. It wasn't fair and it was… cruel, no, not cruel, it was pure evil of him to take the one person she cared about. The one thing she truly loved. It made him look like a hypocrite, but even her mother Padmé Nabierre Amidala was the same, she supported Anakin to have her killed; because she took things too far to save her wife from the Jedi! They're both hypocrites! She didn't take things too far, according to her perspective, it was simply removing threats and the Jedi were a threat to not just her, but Kaeden in particular. Because of Anakin he left to her to burn, she is trapped inside the tomb that is her life-support suit because of him, because Anakin couldn't find it in him to relieve her of the pain she was going through and instead left her to suffer; to drag herself back up that steep hill with her only burnt hand. From that day forward, she vowed to have her revenge on Anakin, to burn him the same way she did and to kill Padmé, her death will be gloriously slow and painful when she gets her hands on the woman she called a mother. The voice was now chuckling, feeling a shift inside Ahsoka.

 ** _"Yes! I can feel your anger. Do not fight it! Let it grow, give you strength, give you focus. Let it feed your hate, pain and suffering, use it to punish those who have wronged you and stripped you of your happiness."_** Ahsoka recalled a song she heard, it was a favourite of her's because she liked the beat, the rhythm but took no notice of the meaning behind the lyrics and Kaeden said it was a bit dark and now, oh Force, it is so relevant. So relatable, an innocent song having such a powerful meaning. This set of verses stood out to her.

_"There was one thing_

_To help escape the misery_

_And now it's all disarray_

_You took my whole life away_

_You sent me back to nothing_

_Now you'll pay, pay_

_Life for life, death for death_

_Tit for tat, just one last breath_

_Absolution's nowhere near_

_Cue the scene, now it's time_

_Reparation for your crime."_

Anakin will pay, he committed a crime, the biggest crime against her. Not only he took Kaeden from her, Anakin betrayed her, of all people she thought she trusted to do so. Even Padmé did, literally everyone betrayed her. How wrong she was. This is followed by the next section or a part of it:

_"Dreamed about the day I'd make you crawl_

_What a sweet release when you rest in peace_

_Vengeance, justice, finally mine_

_And I'll watch you fall."_

Oh yes, that will be glorious to watch, she could almost see it in vivid detail.

_"Now you'll pay the price_

_You destroyed my life_

_After years of suffering_

_Finally had a place to go_

_But not anymore_

_And now it's war_

_And there won't be peace till I get what I came for."_

And she won't rest. Darth Véurr will not rest until her lightsaber meets Skywalker's flesh and she will make his wife watch, the same way he made her watch as his blue blade skewered Kaeden from behind. Her face, Force! She can't get the look of the pain out of her head, Kaeden's silent screams as her eyes rolled back into her head and fell to the floor unmoving. Because of what happened, Darth Véurr and even Ahsoka, crave nothing but revenge. The Light inside was dying, Ahsoka's soul is close to merging with Véurr's, though the Sith Lady seeks ways to completely remove her; which is impossible because no such Force technique exists. For now, Ahsoka and Darth Véurr agree on one thing in common: the deaths of Anakin and Padmé Amidala-Skywalker and neither will rest till they are dead and her so-called father's lightsaber added to her collection. Completely unaware, the shadow tendrils crawled further up her body, wrapping around her and Ahsoka welcomed it as her sapphire-blue eyes turned molten gold, with red around the circumference of her irises.

"Your death will be avenged." It almost appeared that Ahsoka's own voice mixed with Darth Véurr's. It did indeed, for Ahsoka Tano and Darth Véurr, the dying light and the growing darkness have found a common ground, but the Dark is gradually consuming the Light, consuming Ahsoka Tano and it will not stop.

Until Ahsoka Tano is no more.

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to bluntly say this, but the point of this one-shot is to not feel sorry for Ahsoka or Darth Véurr. Ahsoka made her ultimate choice and Véurr is a monster that doesn't deserve sympathy. The chapter title is just pure and beautiful irony. Who is truly in the wrongdoing?
> 
> What basically happened here, Ahsoka tried to fight Véurr, but the chains and shadow tendrils weaken her, but upon finding Kaeden's gravestone; remember, Kaeden is on Alderaan at the time, but Véurr believes she's dead, they have both reached a common ground, but it doesn't stop the Dark from consuming the Light. It is sometime later down the line, Véurr does find a technique to rip Ahsoka apart (a technique like this doesn't exist, but I'm making it up). 
> 
> So… yeah. Darth Véurr is just absolutely insane. Last thing to add: Véurr's memories are warped by Sidious, so the memory of Mustafar from Kaeden's perspective in The Funeral Pyre is correct. Ahsoka betrayed her and everyone else, not the other way around which is what she believes and firmly does.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next one-shot!


	3. The Horrors of Order 66 (19 BBY - Non-canon)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order Sixty-six has been issued. Its effect has rippled across the entire galaxy from the Core to the Outer Rim, but something else leaves a heavy wave, a storm during the purge of the Jedi.
> 
> As of 03 May 2020, this version of the one-shot is now retconned. New version is up as a separate story, which is still part of the series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's a one-shot series without writing about the most horrific event in Jedi history (though I'm not really sorry for them because of The Clone Wars series)? The infamous Order 66.
> 
> I've done my level best to make it somewhat different compared to Galaxy-1 Order 66, this included taking areas of Legends or leaning towards Legends itself. How Jedi Battle Master Cin Drallig and the two Padawans died is purposely left to your imagination. The same is said for the Younglings which I chose not to include this time, but I say you can picture how unforgiving Ahsoka *cough* Darth Véurr would be on the children. Jurrok is a canon character, but there isn't much to go by on him, he is also included in Legends. 
> 
> As for the rest of the Jedi spread out across the galaxy, their deaths go exactly as mentioned in the books, films and comics. This includes the death of Jedi Knight Depa Billaba, Jedi Master Plo Koon, Stasse Ali and others, however there were survivors.
> 
> Obi-wan's death is pretty much the big difference in Galaxy-38, which was mentioned in my other one-shot: Reuniting Old Friends. So… please don't kill me, but hey! He's with Duchess Satine Kyrze now.
> 
> Honestly, 42 years, we still don't have an official species for Yoda. I mean, come on! Dave Filoni! Work on that and get that stamp of approval from George Lucas! If you're wondering about Shaak and I left her alive, I'm mainly basing her on her Legends counterpart. She was pretty dumbed down in canon and to be fair, she is a powerful and underrated Jedi. Just read the Legends counterpart.
> 
> All in all, I'm heavily taking a lot of things from Legends/Expanded Universe.
> 
> Enjoy?

_"We all knew what was about to happen, what we were about to do._

_Did we have any doubts?_

_Any private, traitorous thoughts?_

_Perhaps, but no one said a word."_

\- Unnamed Retired Clone Trooper, _The 501st Journal_ ; _Star Wars Battlefront_

* * *

Chapter 3: The Horrors of Order 66

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Year & Scene change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via transmissions, devices and Force Bonds_

**_Bold/Italics: Voices from Force Ghosts/Visions_ **

* * *

Character Files:

Ahsoka Tano:

Age: 20 Years

Year of Birth: 39 BBY

Origin of Birth: Shili; Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight, General of the 332nd Battalion, Leader of Akul Squadron, Sith Apprentice

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte

****

Kaeden Larte:

Age: 20 Years

Year of Birth: 39 BBY

Origin of Birth: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic Apprentice

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano

****

Katooni:

Age: 17 Years

Year of Birth: 36 BBY

Origin of Birth: Tholoth; Colonies Region

Species: Tholothian

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Padawan Learner, Former Commander of The 332nd Battalion, Unofficial General of the 3rd Ranger Battalion

****

Captain Slip (CT-4056)

Age: 13 Years (Human)/26 (Clone) Years

Year of Birth: 32 BBY

Origin of Birth: Kamino; Wild Space

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Captain of the 332nd Battalion, Leader of Akul Squadron & Unofficial Commander of the 3rd Ranger Battalion

****

ARC Trooper Bomber (CT/ARC-1629):

Age: 13 Years (Human)/26 (Clone) Years

Origin of Birth: Kamino; Wild Space

Year of Birth: 32 BBY

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: ARC Trooper, Member of the 332nd Battalion, Member of Akul Squadron, Explosive Specialist, Trooper of the Unofficial 3rd Ranger Battalion

****

Obi-wan Kenobi:

Age: 47 Years

Year of Birth: 66 BBY

Origin of Birth: Stwejon System

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Master, Council Member, General of the 212th Attack Battalion

****

Commander Cody (CC-2224)

Age: 13 Years (Human)/26 (Clone) Years

Origin of Birth: Kamino; Wild Space

Year of Birth: 32 BBY

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Commander of the 212th Attack Battalion

****

Anakin Skywalker:

Age: 31 Years

Year of Birth: 50 BBY

Origin of Birth: Tatooine; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Former Mentor, General of the 501st, Leader of Torrent Company

Year of Marriage: 31 BBY to Padmé Amidala

****

Commander Appo (CC-1119):

Age: 13 Years (Human)/26 (Clone) Years

Origin of Birth: Kamino; Wild Space

Year of Birth: 32 BBY

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Commander of the 501st, Member of Torrent Company

****

Captain Rex (CT-7567):

Age: 13 Years (Human)/26 (Clone) Years

Origin of Birth: Kamino; Wild Space

Year of Birth: 32 BBY

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Captain of the 501st, Leader of Torrent Company

****

Yoda:

Age: 877 Years

Year of Birth: 894 BBY

Origin of Birth: Planet Unknown

Species: Unknown

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Grand Master, Council Member, Temporary General of the 41st Elite

* * *

_ Year: 19 BBY; 1089th Day of The Clone Wars… _

_ Time: 2100 (21:00; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Night… _

Canon: Operation Knightfall/Order 66/The Great Jedi Purge; _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

The moon shone brightly over Coruscant's night sky, somehow still shining more brightly than all the city lights that lit up the streets of the Upper Levels. The moonlight shone over the impending doom that was slowly approaching the majestic Jedi Temple. If anyone was in the area, all they would hear is the sound of synchronised marching footsteps, so perfect, so in tune, not one foot was a step out of place to ruin the marching rhythm. It was a Clone Trooper Battalion, a number so large it was uncountable unless you are watching from the skies, from above it looks like a wave of orange and white, the troops holding something in their hands, their blasters most likely; what else would the Clones arm themselves with? Their numbers were in the hundreds, thousands, even hundred-thousands. If one were to watch from the skies, you would see the battalion marching up the two-hundred and sixty-four steps up to the entrance of the temple. People could easily mistake the legion for The 212th Attack Battalion if they weren't deployed to Mandalore to apprehend Maul, Death Watch and his Shadow Collective with the aid of an unofficial Clone Battalion called: The 3rd Ranger Battalion, led by former Jedi Commander and Jedi Padawan Katooni; instead the orange colouring, the shade was much deeper, more burnt orange. This is The 332nd Battalion, the finest rivalling The 501st Legion, who are currently on the planet of Utapau to put an end to General Grevious, the leader of the Separatist Droid Army, they follow the leadership of Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, taught under the tutelage of General and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka was pretty popular amongst the people and across the galaxy, who granted her the name The Huntress because of her Shilian heritage. The battalion marching up the steps were broken up into groups, seven rows of fourteen platoons and the number of those said platoons is uncountable, there is no doubt more are behind making their way up. The battalion was armed with their standard DC-15A Blaster Rifles, others armed with DC-15S Blaster Carbines and the entire group were ordered to carry a DC-17, may it be one or two on their waists as a sidearm or a backup weapon. The 332nd fearlessly followed their leader towards the temple entrance, they were following the lead of Lady Véurr or Darth Véurr. While they were surprised to be taking orders from her all of a sudden, with little time in advance, what surprised some of them even more, particularly for those who served the battalion the longest; Lady Véurr sounded exactly like their Jedi General, General Ahsoka Tano. However, they are Clones, mass-produced flesh droids and good soldiers follow orders, none of them questioned the change of leadership.

Reaching the top of the steps, the legion and their leader were stopped by a lone Jedi guarding the front entrance towards the Great Hall. The name of the Jedi that halted the battalion and Véurr is Jurrok, by the orders of Master Windu, Tiin, Kolar and Fisto, he and Master Ti were told to guard the temple; in case of an inevitable attack. Jurrok accepted the order but was taken aback because no forces are foolish enough to attack the temple. The last recorded attack on the Jedi Temple was The Sacking of Coruscant in 3653 BBY, led by Darth Malgus, but the most recent attack, which he viewed as a break in but resulted in many valuable Jedi artefacts and property being stolen or damaged was in 44 BBY; when an Apprentice Bruck Chun was working in leagues with a Dark Jedi named Xanathos, his apprentice died that year, but Xanathos continued to plague the Order until he fell in 33 BBY. Anyways, it's been a long time since he heard from Windu and the two Jedi Masters he took with him to arrest the Supreme Chancellor, who is believed to be the Sith Lord the Order has been looking for many years: the Apprentice of Darth Plagueis or Darth Plagueis the Wise, for his unchallenged knowledge of the Force. Jurrok felt warnings through the Force, this stance he is seeing before him is an obvious threat and danger. Ignoring the Clones who stood behind the hooded figure, he asked one question. Surely the Force had to be lying to him because he felt the deaths of Masters Mace Windu - the creator of Vaapad, another form of Juyo (Form VII) - Kit Fisto, the master of Form I: Shii-Cho, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin. The Chancellor is just a politician, there's no way he could defend himself, let alone defend himself from three Jedi Masters/Council Members, even his Royal Guards would not stand a chance unless someone came to his aid. Shaking his head, Jurrok turned his attention to the hooded figure, looking hard enough he was able to tell it was Skywalker's former Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

"Knight Tano! I sense a great disturbance through the Force. Pray tell me what happened to Jedi Masters Windu, Tiin, Kolar and Fisto?" He asked her, hoping to get an answer. Tano only gave him stone cold stares, her sapphire/ocean blue eyes looked like the great icy glaciers of Hoth, her stare stabbing him like icicles. Completely ignoring his question, she asked him her own.

"Where is Shaak Ti?" Darth Véurr needed to know this so she could kill her. Master Ti's calm and serene demeanour is but a mask to hide the warrior she actually is. A powerful Force-user and a practitioner of lightsaber Form II: Makashi, The Way of the Ysalamiri or The Contention Form and Form IV: Ataru, The Way of the Hawk-bat or The Aggression Form, the same form Véurr is skilled in. Shaak Ti is too dangerous to be left alive, she must die.

"She's in the Meditation Chamber." Jurrok answered. Having the location, Véurr said nothing, only to raise her lightsaber hilt with dangerous calm, pressing it firmly against the Gate Master's chin. Jurrok made no move, surely Knight Tano would not kill him. How wrong he was, the last thing he hears before his life flashed before his eyes and becoming one with the Force is the sound of Ahsoka's lightsaber being ignited, the blade springing from his chin, right through his skull. The Gate Master's body dropped to the floor with a thud, lifeless, Véurr's first kill as a newly fledged Sith Lady and practitioner of the Dark Side. With no one stopping her or the legion of Clones behind her, she continued to walk forward, as her loyal army followed, weapons primed and ready to kill.

The hunt has begun.

The Jedi Temple has now become the hunting ground.

Véurr and her Clones are the hunters.

The Jedi are the prey.

To be slaughtered like animals.

_ Across the Galaxy… _

Canon: The Siege of Mandalore/Order 66; _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Throne Room, Sundari, Mandalore, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

He couldn't believe it. After taking control of Mandalore, after killing its ruler Duchess Satine's Kyrze in order to break his nemesis Obi-wan Kenobi, former Sith and Apprentice of Darth Sidious, Maul has been captured, sealed in a ray shield. The Zabrak glared at Tano's pathetic former Padawan Learner Katooni, as she stood there smirking at him. Maul was angry at himself for being outsmarted by a Jedi reject, he expected Kenobi to face him, not this child. His lightsaber is long disengaged, his blade will not penetrate a ray shield, all he can do is wait for his own army to come charging in and free him. If this child is here to face him, then Kenobi and his soldiers are dealing with his own forces, allowing the Tholothian to slip in. The conversation before they duelled burned into his mind, the little brat picked up her Master's art for taunting enemies and her taunts punched him in the gut, even if he didn't show it. No one mocks him! It is Kenobi's fault that he is like this, cut in half, brought back and stuck with cybernetic limbs to replace his lower torso and legs.

 _"You're not even a real Jedi."_ ,

 _"It'll be a fair fight then. You're only half a Sith."_ The snarky little bitch thinks she's above him to mock his dignity like that. She truly is Tano's former Padawan. While Maul hadn't met Tano himself, he heard enough stories about her, many of her enemies were left to run and turn tail, but not without injury. Maul is not just referring to physical injury, but verbal too, any taunts and humiliation she hurled them, they never forgot. That granted her the name The Taunter or by the Mandalorians: Te Takisit and quiet whispers of Shabuir because at the same time, some Mandalorian Warriors respect Tano for her fighting skills in both armed and unarmed combat. So the Togruta is far from deserving of being called a shabuir. Next, the doors open and in comes his longtime nemesis, his rival and enemy: Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi, the former Master of Anakin Skywalker, the Grand Master of Ahsoka Tano and Great Grand Master of Katooni. Kenobi stroked his beard, approaching Maul as his platoon of Clones, all with Katooni's, surrounded him.

"It's been a long time my old enemy." He started off, "We haven't met since you killed the Duchess, destroyed her hard work and plunged Mandalore into chaos under your… unrefined rule.",

"My Master replaced me and you took my legs and destroyed my life!" Maul snarled,

"Legs can be replaced." Obi-wan's face turned solemn and Katooni saw that. She figured despite their shaky past and legendary arguments, her former Great Grand Master did have feelings for the Duchess of Mandalore. "A life cannot." Commander Slip (CT-4056) and ARC (Advanced Recon Commando) Trooper Bomber (CT/ARC-1629) stood beside Katooni, smiling under their helmets that the siege is a success. Slip felt they could have succeeded without Kenobi and The 212th, but their help was a big welcome and tipped the fight in their favour in taking back the capital of Mandalore: Sundari. Commander Cody (CC-2224) also appeared, standing beside General Kenobi. The rest of the men, along with the unofficial 3rd Ranger Battalion were guarding the entrance, while others kept an eye on the Mandalorian prisoners who surrendered after the fight, his comlink suddenly went off, which he found odd. General Kenobi and Katooni made no heed, as they discussed bringing Maul back to Coruscant to face trial for his crimes against the Jedi and the Republic. Turning his back, Cody answered the call and what shocked him was a hooded figure, but according to the transmission line, this is from the Supreme Chancellor himself, which means the situation is serious.

 _"Commander Cody, the time has come."_ The Chancellor said to him. The time has come for what? _"Execute Order Sixty-six."_ Something snapped inside Cody- no, he's no longer Cody. He is CC-2224. Good soldiers follow orders. The Jedi have acted out against the Republic. They are traitors. Kill the Jedi.

"It will be done, my Lord." He replied automatically. Turning to face his traitorous General, Kenobi faced Cody, only to see him raise the barrel of his DC-15S.

"Cody! What are you-" It happened so fast. Twenty-four pulled the trigger, a single blaster bolt straight through Kenobi's heart, the sound of Katooni's screams of horror filling the throne room, even Maul himself looked shocked, seeing his nemesis felled by a Clone of all people. The Clone Trooper turned on his General, was this his former Master's grand plan to take over the Republic? Obi-wan Kenobi's body fell to the floor, his lightsaber rolling out of his hand and he turned his blaster on Katooni, yelling at his men.

"Kill the Jedi!" Chaos erupted. Slip and Bomber, instantly raised their blasters to protect Katooni, being the only few Clones who removed their biochips. It's happening, Order Sixty-six! Slip wished Jester's (CT-4984) warning was actually heard, he was right, the conspiracy theory, the Chancellor was using them, his brothers to kill the Jedi! The order was uncovered because of another member of Akul Squadron: Deadshot (CT-9350), his biochip malfunctioned on Ringo Vinda, which resulted in the death of General Tiplar. He was right along, but no one listened. Now Jester's death is in vain.

Hearing the Force scream, Katooni automatically ignited her lightsabers, the green blades sprung from the hilts and began blocking the plethora of lasers from both her own men and Kenobi's. The seventeen-year-old didn't understand what was going on, did not understand what prompted the Clone Troopers to fire upon her and killing Kenobi! Glass broke all around them as Bo-Katan Kyrze, Satine's sister and the rest of Nite Owl elite entered the fray, coming to her rescue. They formed a circle between Katooni, Slip and Bomber to protect them from their own men.

"Katooni, vod! Me'bana?" Bo-Katan questioned over the intense blaster fire.

"ME'BANA!?" Exclaimed Katooni, in Mando'a, as she deflected back a bolt at a 212th Clone, killing him and breaking her heart. She was quite close to Kenobi's battalion. Katooni knows the language thanks to lessons from her battalion before she walked away from the Order. "DOES IT LOOK LIKE I KNOW, VERDE!?" While being protected by the circle of Mandalorians, Katooni reached out with the Force to call for Obi-wan's lightsaber and clipped it to her belt. One way or another, it has to be given to Anakin. The other Clones realised they have traitors among their ranks, Fifty-six and Twenty-nine are not obeying the order given by the Supreme Chancellor himself, they must be put down with the Jedi. The rest of Akul Squadron are on Coruscant.

"Keep firing troopers!" Ordered Twenty-four. An opening was finally given when two of the Nite Owl members unleashed their single rocket from their jet packs, killing or wounding several of the Clones. Then a stray blaster bolt caught the generator for the ray shield, freeing Maul. Using this chance and the distraction going on, he leapt through the broken window and fled, leaving the Jedi and the other Mandalorians to their doom. Bo-Katan saw the opening herself, as she fired her blasters.

"Katooni, Slip and Bomber, RUN! We'll hold them off!" She told them, "Ret'urcye mhi." Providing Katooni and her friends covering fire, the three of them sprinted like they never have before and before either of them knew it, they found themselves deep in the forest. Knowing they have mere moments to catch their breath, Katooni went off at Slip and Bomber.

"What hell happened back there!?" She demanded, pacing the forest floor. "Haar'chak!" Was muttered under her breath. Slip and Bomber removed their helmets, giving their General sad looks.

"Order Sixty-six or Clone Protocol Sixty-six." Slip started and then recited the passage about it, the order engrained into his brain during the training module of GAR Protocols. "One of one-hundred and fifty contingency orders. It states: in the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR Commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established." The statement was recited perfectly by Slip, it has been drilled into him since he was six years old in Clone years, but in standard human years, that is only three. An order to kill all Jedi! Katooni stares at them dumbfounded, the Jedi would never turn their backs on the Republic! That is absurd! Then something hit her. Ahsoka! Quickly delving into the Force, she grabbed onto their Force bond, it never broke when she walked away, it was only kept dormant. Katooni tried to sense Ahsoka on the other side.

 _"Ahsoka? Are you there?"_ She called out. No answer, no response. _"Ahsoka, please! This isn't funny! You're in danger!"_ Still, no response is Ahsoka… Katooni felt nothing on the other end, it's like her former Master just vanished. Suddenly, she felt something through the bond, her heart fluttered. Was it Ahsoka? Sadly, it was not. It hit her hard and fast, bombarded by a wave of cold ice, the Force bond froze and then… just like glass, it shattered. Katooni clutched her head in pain at the sudden breaking of her bond with Ahsoka, Force, it hurt so much. It must mean one thing: her Master, Ahsoka Tano, her sister and even mother-figure is dead. The Clones got to her. Tears poured down her cheeks, grieving for her best friend, she didn't hear footsteps approaching their direction, Slip and Bomber knew time is up, they must flee. Knowing Katooni is no state to move, Bomber picked up his General, hands slipping under her legs and supporting her back, they fled once more. Katooni continued to mutter incomprehensible words, something about Ahsoka being gone. Bomber would not accept that, General Tano is too resourceful and tough to die so easily, maybe the General broke her bond with Katooni to protect her and find a way to rendezvous with her at a later time. One way or another, Ahsoka and Katooni always find one another, even if one of them is halfway across the other side of the galaxy. Distance never stops them from reuniting, this won't either. It's always Ahsoka and Katooni versus the galaxy. They will find each other again.

The trio ran for another forty minutes, only to come to a halt when they faced two Clone Troopers. Slip fired his pair of DC-17s in rapid succession, his aim remaining true as the bolts hit their brothers, now acting like flesh droids because their free will was forcefully taken away from them because of a stupid biochip in their brains! Katooni managed to snap herself out of her shock, Bomber gently put her down and began following Slip's lead to swap armour with the dead Clones. All they have to do is fake their deaths, Katooni knew this too, she reached for the twin sabres Ahsoka gifted to her, the last link she has to her Master. Katooni didn't want to part with them, but she had to make her death look official, otherwise… the Clones will continue to hunt her down. Once the armour was swapped, Slip and Bomber fired one shot into the armour, to make it look like they were shot and that Katooni's death was a success. The Tholothian took out her own blaster, it was actually another gift by Ahsoka, her own DC-17, Knight Tano was adamant that her former Padawan should learn how to wield a blaster if she's ever separated from her lightsabers. She used the handle to dig a deep enough hole, took some cloth from Bomber's kama and wrapped them in it and placed the sabre hilts inside, then covered them over with earth. Standing back up, she spoke to Slip and Bomber.

"We need to get off Mandalore.",

"You need to get off, Kid." Slip emphasised ' _you_ '. "It's too dangerous for all of us to go." Katooni refused,

"No! I won't leave you! They know you're traitors, they'll kill you and Bomber!",

"It'll be okay, Little One." Bomber reassured. "It's your safety that is a priority. Go, Slip and I will find another way off. Besides," He gave Katooni a rogue smile. "It's hard to put down an old veteran here and an ARC Trooper." Wiping away her tears, Katooni whispered to them.

"Ret'urcye mhi, ori'vod." Slip and Bomber instantly stood to attention and saluted their former Commander and unofficial General for one last time.

"Stay safe, Katooni." Slip told her. "May the Force be with you." Softly smiling, Katooni sprinted away and so did the former Clone Captain and ARC Trooper, as they turned the other direction.

_ Meanwhile… _

Canon: Battle of Utapau/Order 66; _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Battlefield, One of Many Sinkholes, Utapau, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

The battle of Utapau was going well. Commander Appo (CC-1119) got word that General Skywalker killed Grievous. The leader of the Separatist Droid Army is dead, so now all they have to do is finish off the rest of the droids here and then they can go home. Attached to his hip was Skywalker's lightsaber, he managed to lose it, again and it's not the first time, from all the stories he heard from General Tano. No doubt there's a bucketful of Kyber Crystals in his room, it was tempting to snicker at the thought. Appo heard the sound the of an animal coming up behind him, sliding to a halt, sitting on the saddle of a Varactyl was General Skywalker. Appo was glad to see his General alive, not unscathed, but alive nonetheless after his fight with General Grievous.

"How goes the battle, Commander?" He questioned,

"The fight is in our favour. Captain Rex and his squad are pushing through the forces." Appo reported with confidence, which Anakin liked to hear.

"Excellent to hear!" Grinned Anakin, he couldn't wait to get back to Padmé and his daughter Ahsoka. "Grievous is dead and keep up the pressure. We have a war to win!" Before he could slap down the reigns of his Varactyl named Boga, Appo stopped him as he reached for his waist.

"You may want this back, General.",

"Thank you, Appo. Obi-wan and Ahsoka won't let me hear the end of it if I lost another sabre." Appo chuckled as he watched his General and his ride run up the steep ledge. If one were to fall at such a great height, you'd be lucky to survive, but nine times out ten, you'll die from such a fall. At that height, the impact of the water's surface from below feels like hitting concrete. When Skywalker was far from them, his comlink activated and a miniature hologram of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine appeared.

 _"Commander Appo. Execute Order Sixty-six."_ CC-1119 suddenly straightened and replied:

"It will be done, my Lord." Putting away the comlink, Nineteen looked up to where the Jedi traitor is, seeing his sabre ignited in one hand. Pointing two fingers at Skywalker, Nineteen only said two words to the trooper manning the artillery gun. "Blast him!" Upon that single command, a single, concentrated heavy plasma bolt fired toward the Jedi with frightening accuracy and destroying the path of the ledge to the higher levels of the sinkhole. Anakin felt the ground underneath him and his Varactyl collapse around them, he clipped his lightsaber before he lost it again. What or who the hell fired at them!? With the ground lost, Anakin and Boga plummeted to the deep waters below, the last thing felt before hitting the water was his Force bond with Obi-wan snapping.

SPLASH! He hit the water hard and lost consciousness.

_ Twenty-minutes Later… _

( _Scene: Bottom of Sinkhole, Utapau, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Captain Rex (CT-7567) pulled his General out of the water after the order was given. He is the only Clone who removed his biochip, everyone else is obeying the order like mindless drones, hunting for Skywalker's body to confirm his death. He had to kill his brothers before he could get to his General. Removing his helmet, Rex put his ear against Skywalker's chest. Nothing.

 _"Haar'chak!"_ He cursed, there's water in Skywalker's lungs. Rex instantly began Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), thirty chest compressions for every two mouth-to-mouth breaths. He continued this action for six minutes. _"Come on, General!"_ After one last compression, Skywalker came to, sputtering water out of his lungs and coughing it up out of his mouth. Getting himself together, Anakin turned to thank his saviour, only to realise it was one of his men, but knowing the attack on him came from his own soldiers, he unsheathed his lightsaber, pointing it at his Captain. Rex instantly raised his arms as a surrender.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you." He growled. Without saying a word, Rex carefully put his DC-17 down on the ground, while still having the blue blade pointed at his throat. "What the Sith Hell is going on?",

"Order Sixty-six was issued. All the Jedi have been made traitors of the Republic and are to be neutralised by lethal force." Rex explained to him. "I'm not following it because I had my biochip removed." The Clone Captain turned his head to show Anakin his scar, where the chip was removed. Anakin believed him now and put away his lightsaber, allowing Rex to pick up his dual blaster pistols.

"I don't believe it. Obi-wan is dead." His eyes widened, "Ahsoka, Katooni! The Jedi at the temple! They're all in danger! I need to get back to Coruscant.",

"With all due respect, General, that's a suicide mission!" Argued Rex, but judging by the look in his General's face, Skywalker is taking no for an answer. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You remember where Grevious' ship is?" Anakin nodded, it's right where the cyborg died and he can fly it and thank the Force, it has a hyperdrive built into it. He can make the jump into hyperspace and back to Coruscant. Obi-wan is now one with the Force, he needs to find Ahsoka, Katooni, then grab his pregnant wife Padmé and his daughter-in-law Kaeden and get the kriffing Sith Hell off Coruscant. Surely Naboo will offer them sanctuary, the last resort will be Tatooine. Rex gestured to Anakin to follow him through the cave networks.

_ Back at the Jedi Temple… _

( _Scene: Meditation Chamber, Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Jedi Master Shaak Ti was deep in meditation, though not oblivious to the bloodshed being spilt in the halls of this great temple. In fact, she was waiting for someone, the person is coming, she can sense her Force signature, heavily imbued in the Dark Side of the Force. The door opened behind her, the turncoat stepped in as the door closed itself, Shaak could hear the lightsaber being fiddled in her grasp. Shaak opened her eyes, not even turning around, she spoke to the turncoat.

"How could you do this, Ahsoka?" Shaak asked her, "Why would you turn your back on us? As your biological aunt, why?",

"Your niece is dead Master Jedi and you shall join her." Did Ahsoka already know she has an aunt? That it was Shaak? The sabre turned on, Shaak leapt, activating hers, narrowly blocking the attack on her. They held each other in a lock, staring at each other. Master Ti looked right into her niece's icy stare, hellbent on killing, hellbent on blood, Ahsoka looks like a predator. Her niece is the predator, the hunter. The space was too small to utilise Ataru, so instead, Véurr used Form V: Shien/Djem So and Form VI: Niman on Shaak, while the much older Togruta fell back on Makashi. Many questions flew around Shaak's head, why has her niece betrayed them? Who lured her to the seductions of the Dark Side? Why did she choose to fall? What did the Dark offer that the Light could not give? Darth Véurr pounded Shaak's defences with hard strikes of Falling Avalanche, strikes Shaak almost struggled to block, Ahsoka actually had her staggering! The two held in a second sabre lock, aunt and niece.

"Please Ahsoka." Begged Shaak, "Stop this madness!",

"That name means nothing to me. It belonged to a weak Jedi Knight, blinded by the lies of the Order." The Sith Lady responded, "My name is Darth Véurr." Shaak's face dropped, her purple eyes widened. Her niece is a Sith, the Sith Lord they have been looking for has found a new Apprentice to replace Count Dooku or Darth Tyrannus. The Sith Lord has found an Apprentice in her niece. How could she accept his teachings!? Ahsoka has completely given in to her hate and anger, no doubt some of that stems from the hatred of her biological parents: Chief Azure Tano and her sister Maya Ti-Tano. Some of her anger and hatred stems from her sense of abandonment because of them. It is understandable Ahsoka never forgave them, neither did Shaak, but she'd never let her emotions consume her like her niece just did. The Force sent out a warning, Véurr's left hand reached for the lightsaber shoto, turning it on and swinging it at her, with every intention to kill. With the split second she had, Shaak Ti leapt over her niece's head, the yellow-green blade barely missing her, nicking her brown Jedi cloak. Gathering the Force, Shaak gave Véurr a rough Force Push, causing her to crash into a wall back first, stunning her, this allowed time for Shaak to run out the door and escape. Recovering from Shaak's Force Push, anger coursed through Véurr's veins, she let a Jedi Master get away and cursing expletives in both Huttese, Mando'a and Togruti. She activated her comlink. "All units, proceed with your current attack and lockdown all ship hangars. Keep an eye out for the Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti. She is attempting to escape and too dangerous to be left alive." On the other end of the call, there were multiple ' _yes sir_ ' to confirm. With that, Darth Véurr turned off her comlink and proceeded to seek out the Jedi Battle Master Cin Drallig, another Jedi too dangerous to leave running around when the Empire arises. He is also the one swordsman her former Master respects, Anakin was never able to beat him in a sparring match, well that is going to change, now that the Dark Side is empowering her. Darth Véurr will be the one to fell the mighty and skilled Cin Drallig, no doubt he is in the training room.

_ Five Minutes Later… _

( _Scene: Training Room, Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Darth Véurr entered the training room, finding Jedi Battle Master Cin Drallig in some kind of pre-battle meditation. Drallig opened his eyes, sensing the spike in the Dark Side, the turncoat Jedi leading The 332nd to slaughter the Jedi. He knew exactly who they belonged to because of the markings on their helmets: Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan taught under Knight Skywalker. The Battle Master stood up, unclipping his lightsaber, yet he wasn't alone, he was joined to the side by two Jedi Padawans named Whie Malreaux and Bene. A Jedi Master aided by two Padawans, it made Véurr chuckle coldly. All three were in their fighting stances as she activated her main lightsaber and lightsaber shoto. Staring through the hood, Cin could just about see the cold, icy blue eyes glaring back at them and looking even harder, were minute pigmentations of yellow-gold dotting the irises; the telltale sign of a Sith.

"You had much potential, Tano." He said to her in a sorrowful tone,

"The Light was only wasting it, the Dark actually empowers it." Lady Véurr stepped into an Offensive Neutral stance, both her sabre and shoto held in her signature reverse Shien grip. Such a grip Cin admires Tano for, before she fell to what she is now: a newly fledged Sith, a fresh practitioner of the Dark Side which is probably why Tano is border lining insane, she has no control, the Jedi the Order has failed and is now suffering the consequences; and lastly… a disappointment and grief on Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. For he was the one who took her on as his Padawan, not long after being knighted himself, when others refused to take up the role, he cared for her and raised her like she was more than his Padawan Learner; Ahsoka Tano was a sister to him, a daughter even. Taking a deep breath, knowing the possibility this could be his final battle, if that may be the case, Cin Drallig would rather die in the temple, than on another planet. "Time to join the other traitors." Véurr growled, swinging her sabres around. Cin chose not to reply, action will be his answer and then, the three Jedi and the Sith Lady charged at each other, filling the training room with the sound of the clash of lightsabers.

_ With Kaeden… _

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden Larte-Tano, originally from Raada, once a farm girl and now a mechanic-in-training and the wife of Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano was pacing the living room of her apartment, which she now shares with the Togruta. She hasn't seen or heard from Ahsoka since going to the Jedi Temple, the building that overshadows the other buildings, it's four tall spires reaching to the night sky. Kaeden was waiting for Ahsoka to come home, her wife admitted this apartment she rents is more home to her than the temple; heck, she spends a lot of time with her adopted parents on 500 Republica, where Senator Padmé Amidala resides. The mechanic was taken away from her thoughts, hearing an explosion that rocked the items on the shelves, that was when Ahsoka's droid: R7-A7 came rolling out in a panic. Rushing towards the window, her eyes widened with shock, horror and fear, the Jedi Temple was up in flames, huge plumes of smoke coming from different parts of the building. Who in their right mind would be crazy enough to attack the temple!? It's literally a fortress!

 _"Oh Force! Ahsoka!"_ Her mind screamed. Her wife in there, she is probably doing her best to fight off who's attacking her home, even it began to feel less home for her. Kaeden inhaled sharply, tears ran down her cheeks, fearing for Ahsoka's life. What would she do without her? _"Please ner cyare. Come home, come back to me."_ Kaeden couldn't help but wonder how Padmé, her mother-in-law is handling this predicament, Ahsoka is her daughter.

_ Twenty-four Hours After Operation Knightfall… _

( _Scene: Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Grand Master Yoda walked through the halls of the now destroyed Jedi Temple. They had to fight through a large number of Clones to get back in, both he and Yoda recognised the battalion the Clones belong to: they're all from The 332nd, which is Ahsoka's Clone Legion. Anakin's stomach was doing three-sixty turns, or at this stage knots, did his daughter get away from her own men alive? The now former General of The 501st is still grieving for the loss his Captain: Rex, the only Clone who never obeyed this traumatising Order, Skywalker wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. Rex sacrificed himself by letting loose a grenade to cause a cave-in inside the cavern to crush not only him but… a good few of his best and closest friends: ARC Trooper Fives (CT/ARC-5555), Tup (CT-5385), Field Medical Officer Kix (CT-6116), Jesse (CT-5597)… literally… he took all the members of Torrent Company with him. Well… there's a possible chance some made it out of the collapse alive, only with a few bumps, bruises, scrapes and dented Plastoid armour. Rex died, so he could reach Grievous' ship to escape Utapau. The two looked around, their hearts grieving for the all the dead Jedi they see, a mixture of dead Jedi and 332nd Clone Troopers, Skywalker knelt down to pick up a fallen Clone Trooper helmet, his left hand running over the painting representing Ahsoka's facial markings. A lot of their enemies would run in fear seeing it, it was like war paint and that marking has been ingrained into every Jedi that has fallen to them, the last thing they saw. Seeing more bodies, the numbers just kept racking up, did anyone survive the onslaught? Anakin lost Obi-wan, he's not going to lose anyone else, Ahsoka and Katooni especially. Turning the corner, the Jedi Knight almost wanted to vomit, it was another group of bodies, but it was more than that… they were Younglings, children.

"Not even the Younglings survived." Anakin said softly, as Yoda stared with sadness in his eyes. He noted one thing that made these deaths different from the others and made a point to Anakin.

"Killed not by Clones, but by a lightsaber.",

"Who… who could have done this?" He questioned Yoda. Then finished in his head: _"Who could have been heartless enough to kill defenceless children!?"_ Jedi Knight Skywalker needed answers and he needed them now. He must know who did this. Rushing to the archives, Anakin made sure to stop by the communication terminals to stop the signal that is being sent out, to tell the Jedi to return to the temple, but only to fall into a trap. He changed the message transmitting to any surviving Jedi to stay away and hide. Once he finished that, he turned to the security room, where the recordings from the hidden holo-cameras are saved, kept and stored. The answers lie in the recordings from several hours ago, or it could be even a day now here. Anakin switched on the terminal and began to rewind to the beginning of the attack, just as Yoda entered.

"Be warned, mind you I must. Pain and grief given only they will, from the answers that lie inside it.",

"Master Yoda, you must understand, I need to know!" Stubbornness was always a trait, he never takes no as an answer, which almost drove Rex insane. Anakin played the footage from when The 332nd marched on the Jedi Temple, they weren't alone, they were being led, led by a cloaked figure. _"Could be the Sith or his new Apprentice."_ He thought to himself, perhaps Sidious got his hands on a new Apprentice. While it appeared some parts of the fight were missing, Anakin was only focusing on three key areas: the Grand Hall, the High Jedi Council Room and the Training Room. The two Jedi watched as the Sith cut down everyone in his path, killing Jedi Master Jurrok at the temple entrance, many Jedi Knights, Padawans, a few Masters that were not deployed off-planet. Jedi Battle Master Cin Drallig even fell, he was the one Master Anakin could never beat in a duel and he helped him master lightsaber Form V! To know that he is dead now… two other Jedi Padawans died to the Sith Lord's blade after the shoto was destroyed. _"Wait… shoto!?"_ A lump formed in Anakin's throat, dreading who the identity of the Sith is, he even took note of the reverse Shien grip and how efficiently the Sith switched between the two. The footage that followed was the one that truly made him ill, the attacker entered the Council Room, finding the Younglings who died in there. The children did their level best to fight off the enemy, but they were no match and were cut down like they were nothing. Next, once the last Youngling was killed, the Sith lowered his hood but… it was not a male, the Sith was female… she turned to stare menacingly at the holo-camera hidden in the corner, like she knew exactly where it was. Yoda could only give a look of remorse, as Anakin stopped the footage, unable to watch anymore, leaning forward on the terminal to keep himself from falling to the floor. It couldn't be her, it couldn't be! She would not do this! She can't be the one who betrayed the Jedi Order, this had to be an imposter, but the Force was giving him a mournful hum, telling Anakin to accept this is the answer he was looking for. Anakin looked right into the hologram, her eyes look so… icy, angry, hateful and he could see rage. The Jedi Knight was almost fearful of saying her name, but with great effort, he said one word, a name, out loud. "Ahsoka.",

His entire world shattered and not just his, but Padmé's too. Force, his daughter-in-law: Kaeden Larte. Anakin Skywalker's daughter has betrayed them all. He literally heard what Yoda tell him if his brain processes anything:

"Ahsoka Tano she is no longer. Consumed by the Dark Side, your former Padawan is. Darth Véurr she is now.",

Anakin's entire world, everything he stood for, has now been crumbled to dust, because of his daughter and her consequential choices. Choices she can never take back, but choices she doesn't seem to regret. This leaves only one thing: Anakin Skywalker must confront the person he held dear, to confront one of his own family, if he can actually bring himself to do so.

_Fin_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Te: The (rarely used)

Takisit: Insult (noun)

Shabuir: Extreme insult. Jerk (but much stronger)

Vod: Brother/Sister/Comrade

Me'bana?: What's happening/happened?

Verde: Soldier/Warrior

Ret'urcye mhi: Goodbye (Literally: Maybe we'll meet again)

Haar'chak: Damn it

Ori'vod: Big or Older brother/sister/Special friend

Ner: My/Mine

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my dear, sweet Little 'Soka, our favourite snippy Togruta, what have you done? You can't cleanse the galaxy by fire, which she just did. The entire surviving characters need a lot of therapy. What can I say? Ahsoka just literally ripped up the foundations of the Republic, helped Palpatine/Sidious establish the Galactic Empire, killed the Jedi and just from there she is already on her dark descent, psychologically, not just the Dark Side.
> 
> Safe to say anyways, she got her just desserts in The Funeral Pyre. However, this is her rise Darth Véurr, 19 BBY is the year Ahsoka Tano died.
> 
> Before you scream and point pitchforks at me, I'm sorry for killing off Rex too, but it was to move the plot and make his death meaningful. Sacrificing himself by having him AND some of Torrent Company crushed in a cave-in was the best send-off I could give the ole' Captain.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter! Don't be surprised if it's another dark one-shot.


	4. The Past Always Haunts You Part I (4 & 7 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years pass and Kaeden believes she left her past behind. Oh, how wrong she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to say much other than nabbed more elements from Legends/Expanded Universe. I've been researching it a lot recently and figuring out ways to smoothly tie it into canon. Damn it Disney! It's not chaotic! It just requires thinking. Not spoiling any more.
> 
> Enjoy.

_"The past is never where you think you left it."_

\- Katherine Anne Porter

* * *

Chapter 4: The Past Always Haunts You - The Ghost

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other sources; e.g.: Communication terminals, Comlinks, Force bonds_

* * *

Character Profiles:

Kaeden Larte:

Age: 46 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic, Retired Rebel

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa (Birth); Outer Rim/Alderaan (Home); Core Region

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Retired Rebel Geneal of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

* * *

_ Year: 4 ABY… _

_ Time Unknown… _

Canon: Post-Battle of Endor; _Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Hidden Cloning Room, Cloning Facility, Kamino, Wild Space, Galaxy-38_ )

The planet of Kamino, the home of the Kaminoans. The species are long-neck scientists, graceful, elegant but often prefer to keep to themselves. These scientists are responsible for the creation of the Clone Troopers twenty-six years ago when the galaxy was at war, it was called The Clone Wars. Huge numbers of Clone Troopers fighting against large waves of droids which all look the same. The troopers were created by the DNA of the most feared bounty hunter back in the day: Jango Fett. The Clones were only copies of each other, bar the slight genetic tweaks for other groups such as the Clone Commandos, Advanced Recon Commandos (ARC) and the experimental Clone Batch Ninety-nine (also known as The Bad Batch). Since so many were being created or produced however you see it, there is never time to name them, but why give Clones a name when there is no way to tell them apart? Instead of names, they were given numbers, during the war though, when they follow the lead of Jedi Generals and the odd Jedi Commander, some of those Jedi saw the Clones as more. Many view Clones as flesh droids, certain Jedi don't and that included the Jedi Generals of The 212th Attack Battalion, 501st Legion and 332nd. The Kaminoans always eyed The 501st and 332nd specifically, their Jedi Generals treated the Clones as men, called them by name, never by number, it humanised them, gave them reasons to stand out from others who follow regulations to the book. Both Generals of the battalions had unorthodox tactics and strategies, prone to changing on the fly which required the troops to think outside the box for themselves; rather than adhering to what they expect from their training simulations. In fact, the Clone Troopers from those two battalions did exactly that, which indicated all the Clones in those two legions are defective. Defective Clones are dangerous, that was until the Galactic Empire came to power, the Kaminoans worked in leagues with the Sith, implanting biochips to house many different orders, specifically Order Sixty-six. When that time came, Emperor Palpatine stopped the production of Clones, the last batch used as the first generation of Stormtroopers, but their accelerated ageing began to bite back; many died because of it or were forced to retire, some were even just given crappy security positions.

While the production of Clone Troopers has permanently stopped, that doesn't mean certain higher-up individuals would come, ask to have their DNA taken and be cloned. Cloning is a delicate process, often required trial and error until the perfect clone is created. Inside the cloning facility of the stormy planet of Kamino, in a hidden sector, so secret even the Emperor himself did not know of its existence, inside was a large tank. Many machines were hooked to the tank, monitoring machines to watch the vitals, inside the tank was a figure, but due to the substance in the tank, it is hard to tell who. The shadowy figure was hunched over slightly, arms wrapping around the stomach, in a state of slumber. For how long, is anyone's guess except for the scientists watching the progress and they seem very pleased. After many trials, errors, fiddling with the DNA, they were finally able to make one perfect clone that is not unstable, aggressive but… a perfect copy of the person who gave them his or her DNA. Suddenly, the monitoring machines came to life, the figure in the tank is gaining consciousness, waking up and finding itself in a tank with a breathing mask. Feeling around, the clone could feel glass everywhere, this would not do, it needed to get out. That was when the clone began punching the glass, but it did nothing and it angered the clone, changing tactics, like it was somehow intuitive or second nature, the clone placed its hands on the surface of the glass and… focused? Focused on what? Minutes passed, the Kaminoan scientists were confused about what this clone was doing, to their shock, the glass containing their little project began to crack! The clone focused more, pressing its hand more firmly against the glass, the cracks grew bigger and bigger, weakening and then, the clone drew back a hand and punched its fist right through the weakened structure. The sudden change in pressure caused the substance in the tank to rush out, pulling the figure with it, ripping off any connecting wires and landing hard on the floor. Removing the breathing mask, the clone coughed for a few minutes, before getting itself together. It then proceeded to stand up, the legs were a little shaky, soon enough, it found its equilibrium. The unknown clone began stretching to loosen any cricks in the bones and stiffness in the muscles, as the lights turned on. The clone was shortly greeted by a Kaminoan scientist, with a robe in her hand, which it gladly took, but it knew it wasn't going to stay on Kamino any longer. There is work that needs to be done and many things which are personal.

_ Three Years Later… _

_ Year: 7 ABY… _

_ Evening… _

Canon: _Post-Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Lake Country, Outside Penthouse, Naboo, Mid Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Outside a penthouse overlooking a large lake, surrounded by vast green fields, Kaeden Larte, a now fully qualified mechanic was sitting in a chair reading a holo-book. The Skywalker twins: Luke and Leia invited her to the Lake Country penthouse owned by their mother, Padmé Amidala-Skywalker; their father Anakin Skywalker told them he and Padmé were going to raise them here once he retired from the Jedi Order when the war reached its conclusion. Kaeden set up her mechanics business on Coruscant, Raada is now an uninhabitable planet, no one wants to live there anymore, not when it is full of… ghosts. The people, her people, family, friends, neighbours… children… they were all slaughtered, it was a massacre. The disbanded Rebel Alliance called it The Raada Massacre, one of three… well, actually four of Darth Véurr's massacres. The first one was Am'balaar City of Al'doleem, the second was the planet of Mon Calamari (or Mon Cala), though a few of the people and their ships survived; Admiral Ackbar survived and he was the finest leader and tactician of the Rebel Fleet. He was, of course, the Admiral who led the attack on the second Death Star. The third massacre she led was on the Zygerrian Slave Empire, while there was a booming trade deal going on between Palpatine, other higher-up officials with intergalactic foreign affairs and King Atai Molec, Emperor Palaptine's fury was rained down upon him when it has been found out Atai was about to betray the Empire. His fury was sent through Véurr and she did not hold back on any mercy, nor did her soldiers of The 332nd. As you already know, Raada was the fourth. It has then been found out the Sith Lady committed more war crimes, more atrocities, she also carried out four acts of genocide. The first of the four genocides was on the Geonosians of Geonosis, where two of many campaigns of The Clone Wars took place. The population attempted to rebel after being treated with cruelty and unfairness, as they were used as slave labour to construct the Death Star I. The second which took place before the wiping out of the natives of Geonosis was the two recorded uses of Clone Protocol Thirty-seven or also known as Order Thirty-seven. Former Captain of The 332nd and Rebel Commander Slip (CT-4056), a Clone Wars veteran had to explain the order to the Senate of the New Republic and it was one he personally hated with every bone in his body. He thought it was ten times worse than Order Sixty-six which is now twenty-six years ago. Order Thirty-seven was used on the people of Bellassa when they refused to give up an Order Sixty-six survivor named Ferus Olin, which was dated to be 18 BBY and during the Empire's early establishment, the people of Rosha fell victim too. Order Thirty-seven states: ' _using a large number of civilian hostages to force the capture of an individual. It involved suppressing local civilian populations, including mass civilian arrests and civic lockdowns, and then issuing an ultimatum: if the local populace does not turn over said individual, all the arrestees will be executed_ '.

Kaeden, Luke and Leia were genuinely horrified hearing that. They couldn't believe Palpatine would issue such an order, as Véurr sat back doing nothing, other than overseeing the order and she personally made some civilian executions herself. The fourth genocide was on a more personal level, it was during a mission to capture Togrutas for the slave trade and/or the construction of the first Death Star after the Geonosians were killed, as well as mining for Kyber Crystals on the planet of Ilum. Two of the three tribes of Shili were captured, including the Togruta colony on Kiros; Lady Véurr made a personal request to eradicate The Abayeshta Tribe. The New Republic Senate was told Véurr was born into that tribe but was cast out as a four-year-old when she was discovered to be Force-sensitive. Her anger towards the tribe never quelled, her anger started off as a spark, then became a flame, a fire and soon turned into a wildfire when she let the Dark Side consume her. A squadron of her best Stormtroopers, led by the surviving members of Akul Squadron, much to Slip's disgust, they completely destroyed the entire tribe and burned their village to the ground, they even burnt the bodies. If Leia didn't kill Darth Véurr, the senators would have her sentenced for execution for all the crimes she committed. In Kaeden's perspective, those politicians and the people have it easier when it comes to their opinions on Darth Véurr, that is all they see, they will never know the burden that she, Luke, Leia, Slip, practically anyone who knew Véurr as the person she was once was long ago. So long ago, Darth Véurr was not a cruel, evil, bloodthirsty and unmerciful Sith Lady, long ago she was once the brave, reckless, kind and loving Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano. That was the person Kaeden married, that was the person she said ' _yes_ ' to upon her proposal in 22 BBY, on the eve of The Clone Wars. Sure, Ahsoka did have a temper, somewhat similar to Luke and Leia's father, but she cared about Kaeden, she cared about her friends and family. Kaeden's wife was a bit of a black sheep amongst the Jedi Order, allowed entry at a later age, she was eight years old, was more open-minded and questioned many of the teachings of the Jedi, even pointing out flaws and hypocrisy in their code. This open-mindedness was something her father-in-law welcomed, yet even he knew he had to reign Ahsoka in because the High Jedi Council of Old had the power to expel her and she already earned a dislike from many conservative Jedi Masters and Knights. Jedi Master Mace Windu certainly didn't like her, Ahsoka and the Vaapad (Form VII) creator never saw eye to eye.

Albeit… with all the attachments Ahsoka had to her inner circle, the attachment she held strongest to was her love for Kaeden Larte. Three years since burning Ahsoka's body on the pyre on the forest moon of Endor, Kaeden really thought she moved on from her late lover, even after burning her Akul bone wedding ring, in fact… she truly hasn't. She is still grieving, perhaps angry at her wife, angry at the twins for not trying hard enough to bring back her lover to the Light. They told her Véurr discovered a dangerous Force technique to rip one's soul apart, it was used on Ahsoka, Darth Véurr tore Ahsoka's soul; she no longer exists. However, Kaeden believed there was a small sliver of her wife that could have been saved, but Leia already gave up on saving Ahsoka and killed her. Yes, she ended the threat, the monster her wife had become, but surely some part of Ahsoka could have been saved. A part of Kaeden feels at fault that her beloved fell to the Dark Side, a part of her feels responsible for her descent into darkness. Before Sidious succeeded in turning her, Ahsoka had nightmares or Force Visions of Kaeden dying, being killed by someone, she couldn't see the killer in the vision, all she could feel was death, pain and agony. Who would have thought the Force was trying to warn Ahsoka herself that she'd be the one attempting and almost killing her? Ahsoka was under the impression that anyone else, not her, was the killer, the Jedi included and she made some trips to The Underworld to see if she can get tipped off about any bounties targeting the mechanic. When none were found, as Kaeden never made enemies or had dodgy dealings on a bounty hunter's bad side, the Togruta narrowed it down to some higher up in the Senate and as mentioned before, the Jedi themselves. The Force Visions continued to haunt her and she almost went mad because if it, until Kaeden convinced her cyare to speak to Jedi Grand Master Yoda. His wisdom, in the end, was not much help, it all involved learning to let the person she cares about go or it is the will of the Force that she was meant to die. Obviously, Ahsoka would not accept that this is what led to her downward spiral, making her more vulnerable to Sidious' manipulations, her developing paranoia didn't help matters and Ahsoka was becoming increasingly protective and possessive. Kaeden did feel a little suffocated, Tano kept trying to contact her during her mechanics classes to ' _check-in_ ' on her and it came to the point she had to speak to her father-in-law before he left for Utapau and mother-in-law. They both tried to speak to their daughter, but she suddenly closed up on them, telling them she had it under control. After that, as you already know, everything went to Sith Hell. Her wife became something she couldn't recognise, Ahsoka Tano became a monster, became Darth Véurr. That is something Kaeden could never forgive her wife for, yet… why is she finding it so hard to move on? Is her brain still trying to process what Ahsoka had become? That she went from someone Kaeden loved so much to a horrific and terrifying black armoured cyborg? Is everything only reeling in now? Perhaps the answer is not so black and white. If Kaeden is honest with herself, she does miss Ahsoka, she misses being held in her embrace, misses the many times the Togruta calls her cyare or cyar'ika. All the plans and ideas they made for their future when The Clone Wars ended, when she promises to leave the Jedi Order after Katooni's knighting, it's all up in flames now; turned to ashes. They were turned to ashes because of her wife's fatal and irreversible choices, all those choices made was to protect her and keep her safe. The Dark Protector, which is what Ahsoka's Sith name translates to and it fits her too well. While Ahsoka's efforts to protect Kaeden were noble on its own, she became consumed by it and that protectiveness led her down a dark path, where Darth Sidious was waiting for her. Kaeden just wished she could turn back the clock to stop her wife from falling or just to hold her one more time. The mechanic's thoughts were broken when she heard a tray being placed beside her on the table, looking up, her gaze met Leia's, the one who dealt the killing blow.

"You're either thinking deep about that holo-book or it is about what happened over the past few years." The Grey Jedi said to her. That was when Kaeden's gaze moved down to Leia's waist, clipped to her belt buckle was a silver hilt, a lightsaber and not just any lightsaber. It was the weapon that belonged to her wife, the weapon Darth Véurr used to slaughter all Jedi, Younglings included inside the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The Kyber Crystal inside it still retains Ahsoka's memories, including the atrocities of Order Sixty-six, _Operation Knightfall_ and the final fight on Mustafar with her father Anakin Skywalker. When Leia first held the sabre, she told Luke and Kaeden all she could feel was pain, sadness, guilt and suffering, unlike Kyber Crystals that bleed; Ahsoka's crystal was… crying, it regrets the atrocities and the crimes it retains caused by the person that used to be its wielder. Leia was its redemption, the weapon that caused bloodshed and death, is now used to defend others, defend the innocent and only take a life if there is no other option. All in all, the crystal is still scarred and wounded, traumatised to put it that way, it's a mysterious, sentient crystal; not a dead object. Seeing Leia walk around with the lightsaber pains Kaeden's heart, sometimes her mind brings back memories of seeing her lover using it, ones of her witnessing 'Soka wield the blades as she did back during The Blue Shadow Virus Incident that threatened Naboo.

"It's up to your interpretation, Leia." Hearing the younger twin sigh, the Jedi Knight and politician took a seat beside the widow of three years, if counting from the burning of Tano's body or twenty-six years from the moment Darth Véurr consumed her.

"Kaeden, please talk to me. Are you only now allowing yourself to grieve for Ahsoka?",

"Perhaps during the three years that have passed, I am only allowing myself to come to terms with what has happened." The mechanic admitted, "Is all of this my fault? Am I the reason my wife fell to the Dark Side?" Not liking Kaeden's questions or the thought that she is the blame for everything that has occurred, Leia placed a firm hand on Kaeden's shoulder.

"Don't ever say this is your fault, or the reason everything went to Sith Hell. I'm going to be honest, it is Ahsoka who is the one at fault. She made her choice, she chose to become a Sith. Ahsoka is the reason the galaxy fell into a period of oppression and fear.",

"She claimed it was all for my protection, to keep me safe." Kaeden placed the datapad down on the table, now feeling solemn or guilty. "None of this would have happened if I never met her.",

"Yet who else could have taught her happiness?" Countered Leia, "Even if she decided to throw it all away for a delusion with serious consequences. She loved you, Kaeden. Never forget that, remember Ahsoka for who she once was, not what she became.",

"I'm going to go inside and get some rest." Whispered Kaeden. The dark-skinned woman got up from her seat, catching her datapad and walked into the penthouse to the bedroom Leia showed her to yesterday. Once she reached her room, Kaeden shut the door, then sitting on the bed and pulled out a small device from underneath the bed. Kaeden never goes anywhere without it, takes it everywhere with her, even to work and leaves it in her office. Pushing a small button, the device lit up, showing a holo-photo of herself and Ahsoka, both of them sitting on the couch of Anakin's and Padmé's apartment on 500 Republica sleeping. Kaeden was snuggled into her wife, her head using her lover's chest like a pillow, while Ahsoka's arm was slung around, it was no surprise Anakin and Padmé took that photo because it was those two that sent it to them. Tapping another button, the photo switched, this time revealing Ahsoka with Katooni and the men of The 332nd Battalion. Katooni, who is now Force knows where with the Mandalorian Sabine Wren looking for Ezra Bridger, was Ahsoka's Padawan Learner and quite a good match, perfect almost. The Tholothian and the Togruta acted like best friends or siblings, Tano was very relaxed and quite an untraditional teacher for Katooni. The former General was also attached to Katooni, the girl was her emotional crutch, another anchor or a chain to hold onto. When her Padawan was accused of terrorism, bombing the Jedi Temple Hangar, after having her innocence proved Katooni chose to leave the Jedi Order and Force, it hurt her wife so bad. She further lost trust with the High Jedi Council of Old, Ahsoka started to become mentally unstable, but not as bad when she turned to the Dark Side; and the Jedi Knight turned to alcohol for a bit, was always disappearing to the lower levels into the dodgy, dingy bars drinking away her sorrow and all the bantha shit she put up with in her life. Kaeden knew when she married the Togruta Jedi, the woman had the worst case of abandonment issues, it stemmed from her childhood and developed further once she learned to trust people again. Trust was also another problem too. Ahsoka always feared if she got close to someone they would leave her or walk away in the end and that's what she felt when Katooni left, 'Soka felt abandoned, yet a part of her once she reunited with her former Padawan on Mandalore that she never blamed or hated her. In fact, she was proud of Katooni for coming so far on her own. The former Jedi Padawan held onto Tano's teachings, as unconventional as her lessons were, they helped her to survive and that is something Katooni will always be grateful for.

Next is the former Clone Captain of The 332nd and leader of Akul Squadron: Slip. He is most likely the last of the Clone Troopers, the last veteran of The Clone Wars, it's now twenty-nine years since that war broke out, the war that kept taking Ahsoka from her for months at a time. Kaeden gazed at the helmets and the armour the men were wearing, painted Plastoid armour in burnt orange, the helmets bearing the same facial markings as her wife's. It showed their loyalty to her, Ahsoka was once again, an unconventional General, loose on the rulebook and regulations, but an excellent tactician and strategist. Like Anakin with The 501st Legion, Ahsoka's plans were prone to changing on the fly or required quick improvisation and a bit of creativity from the Clones themselves. For the Clone Troopers who studied every single battle scenario through simulations, Tano's methods must have been daunting for them, the thought of thinking for themselves. Clones were not expected to be free thinkers, but Ahsoka's and Anakin's battalions were and in the perspective of Kaminoans, the Clones were defective; which is a horrible thing to say. Her wife and father-in-law, even Obi-wan treated their men as equals, they're not Clones, they are more than numbers. Ahsoka invited Kaeden out to join her for drinks with the boys at their usual haunt, the only Clone bar on Coruscant which is now closed down: _Seventy-nines_. It was an enjoyable night, the Clones were just ordinary men, after that night, Ahsoka vented her frustration and anger towards the Republic to her. She said that the Clones were just bred for war, all they know is to serve the Republic and the now-dead Jedi Knight feels that she is leading a slave army. Kaeden understood where she was coming from, Ahsoka herself was close to being sold as a slave fighter for sport. If the Empire never happened, Force knows what the Republic would do with their soldiers, the Clones were treated as property rather than people and Padmé; her mother-in-law would have fought for equal human rights. However… they're gone now, all of Slip's brothers. He lost his brothers, his brotherhood because of his own General and it's something he can never forgive her for. Though easy for Slip, he has moved on, deciding to live out the rest of his days on Mandalore, before he left, he gave Coruscant one gift, funded by Leia. At the other end of the park, to respect the memorial erected for the Stormtroopers lost on board the first Death Star, there had to be compromises; is a memorial for all the Clones lost during the war before the civil war. A large marble wall containing all the names and numbers of the men who lost their lives. There is also a statue of a lone Clone Trooper, wearing his helmet, head bowed down and a DC-15A Blaster Rifle being pointed down, shoulder rest on the ground and both of his palms resting on the barrel. The statue's armour is unpainted to represent not just Shinies, but all the battalions from The 41st Elite, to The 212th Attack Battalion, The 501st Legion, The 332nd Battalion, The 104th and many, many more. Slip does send out the odd transmission, but at this stage, after fighting and surviving all of his life and seeing so many die before him, the Clone veteran just wants to live out whatever time he has left as a retired trooper of the Old Republic II. Slip knows the inevitable, his accelerated ageing will come to bite him, he's thirty-nine years old but has the body of a seventy-eight-year-old man. Clones only live a half-life, its wrong and it's cruel. Slip and all of his brothers deserved better, but they are now remembered. On the plague carved in Mando'a are two phrases:

' _Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum._ ' And _'Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la._ ' They mean: ' _I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal._ ' And ' _Not gone, merely marching far away._ ' In a way, Ahsoka betrayed and broke her own loyal Captain. Over the three years, as much as Kaeden loved her wife, she had to tell herself continuously that it was Ahsoka who betrayed them all, killed and murdered everyone they care about and worse of all: tore up the foundations of the Galactic Republic. It was Ahsoka who killed her sister Miara and the girl whom she saw as a daughter: Freya, she was only thirteen. Maybe Ahsoka was born to betray, which is a sinful thought because she was so kind and caring, with some dark shadows of her past that she carried. Ahsoka threw away all those who loved her, saved her from a terrible life as a potential slave and gave her a second chance at life. There have been some occasions that Kaeden wished to see her beloved again, just so she can ask why? Why did she do all this? Why did she betray them all? Why did she believe and fall for Palpatine's manipulations and lies? How could she let him turn her into a monster? Were her actions really to protect Kaeden? Or were they for her own selfish needs, so that Ahsoka- Darth Véurr would kill her own Master and rule the Empire. Véurr did try to talk Kaeden into joining her, rule the Galactic Empire in the way they want it to be. It was tempting, there were so many wrongs with the Republic, yet it was wrong to deny the people of having a voice and with time, Kaeden feared her lover would become just as power-hungry and corrupt; a cruel dictator ruling out of anger and hate, fear. Why did everything just go wrong? It's too bad any of the questions Kaeden has will never be answered, her wife is dead and she can never see her again, even as a Force Ghost. Ahsoka's soul, her spirit is just… gone. With Darth Véurr dead, Kaeden hopes to never see that Force Ghost appear before her, the cyborg most likely realised too late that she was real. Yet Véurr had problems too, psychological, the cyborg still clung to feelings for her and learning that she ' _died_ ' hurt and broke her; the Sith Lady grieved, so much so she suffered from Psychosis and Schizophrenia. Between Ahsoka and Véurr, maybe they both suffered from Bipolar Disorder too, the war her late lover fought in gave her no time to think much on mental health and no doubt 'Soka quietly had Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano's life was nothing but a huge mess and becoming Darth Véurr only made it worse. It was her end, her swan song.

Despite all this… Kaeden just needs time to come to terms with all what has transpired. She will move on, the mechanic needs the time though. Time heals everything after all.

Right?

_ One Week Later…  
_

_ Afternoon… _

( _Scene: Larte-Tano Mechanics, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Drilling in the last screw to connect the newly replaced hyperdrive to its compartment, Kaeden removed her protective eyewear to observe for any faults and that no wire was loose. A loose wire or an improperly connected one is a major disaster for any pilot going into hyperspace. Kaeden hooked up her diagnostics datapad to pinpoint any faults, after two or three minutes, the screen lit up to say everything was good. Happy with the outcome, she stepped out of the freighter to notify the pilot that his ship is ready to go. He was sitting in the waiting room, a human who grew up on Corellia. Her customer lifted his head when she came in, so he stood up.

"I'm amazed you made it here in one piece Mr Anderson. Your hyperdrive was busted, so I had to replace it." Explained Kaeden,

"It's a good thing I was flying around the Core Region then." He answered, "Thank you for your help. How much will it cost?",

"That's two-hundred and fifty credits please." Kaeden charged and to be fair, it's no wonder her business is booming. Her prices are fair, cheap in some people's perspective, but they pay for what they get and Kaeden offers excellent mechanics service. The low fares are not a scam. Mr Anderson reached into his pocket and pulled out five-hundred credits, double for what she asked, prompting the mechanic to lift her hand. "Sir, please no. That's too much, I said two-hundred and fifty.",

"I insist. I'm sure your wife would want you to accept it." This caused the woman to stiffen. How did he find out? How does he know? "Jedi General Ahsoka Tano was pretty well known and I saw glimpses of holo-photos in your office. I have no doubt she died valiantly during the war before the Empire." If only he knew the truth. "It was sort of obvious by the holo-photos. My condolences that you lost your wife. War is cruel.",

"Indeed it is." She whispered, "Thank you. Have a good day and try not to bust your hyperdrive this time." Kaeden gave him a soft smile. He saluted back to her and left the room to retrieve his newly repaired ship. Well, at least money is being made to keep the business going and she is pretty well off, enough to live comfortably. Her heart only clenched when Anderson mentioned her wife, Ahsoka could have been by her side helping her run the establishment. The shop would have been on Raada instead of Coruscant and to honour her wife, Kaeden named the repair shop using Ahsoka's suggestion. Kaeden feels she needs to talk to someone about what is going on through her head, she would ask Leia, but she's on a diplomatic mission to Mandalore as well as meeting Slip. Luke is off on his Jedi hang-ups, looking for more knowledge and possibly considering setting up a new Jedi Order. Then Han Solo and Chewbacca still carry out their smuggling scenarios, as much as it makes her eyes roll, Kaeden was happy for Leia that her heart fell for the scruffy-looking nerf herder, though it almost appears they are incompatible due to the number of times they argue; yet thinking about it, they argue like an old married couple. It's amazing Solo wasn't skewered by Leia's sabre! Han has spoken to her about proposing to Leia and asking for Luke's blessing, he just has to hope their father's Force Ghost does not have anything to say about it, or their mother's. Padmé died in the middle of 3 ABY, Darth Véurr got clever, luring the Fulcrum agent into a trap. Her mother-in-law was captured and taken into custody, because of her ' _crimes_ ' against the Empire, Padmé was never given a trial before the Imperial Court of Law and was publicly executed, broadcasted live across the galaxy by none other than Véurr herself. At least Padmé is with her husband, she's at peace now knowing the person who used to be their daughter is dead. Véurr is dead and she will no longer harm another soul in this galaxy ever again. Kaeden does feel bad for Luke and Leia due to the fact they never knew their older sister, they only know her through stories from their parents before they died, from Slip and her. Alas, they were too late to save her, all that was left in her wife's body was the evil and corrupt Sith Darth Sidious twisted her into. A murderer, a child killer and a monster. Looking up at the chrono, Kaeden decided to close up the repair shop to take her lunch break.

_ Ninety Minutes Later… _

Sitting in her office eating food, Kaeden was reading the rest of the holo-book that she saved in her datapad. It is actually one of Ahsoka's personal favourites, if you ask her who is her favourite Force user, her idol, the answer would be Revan. It's just Revan, not Jedi Master Revan or Darth Revan, just Revan. His Apprentice Darth Malak, formerly Alek, described him as a ' _Saviour, conqueror, hero, villain_ ', yet at the same time he was ' _nothing_ '; he belonged to ' _neither the light nor the darkness_ ' but will ' _forever stand alone_ '. Kaeden wondered on Revan's philosophy of the Force, there could have been a possible chance Ahsoka would not have turned if she found her true balance, both the Jedi and Sith Orders were two extreme sides of the Force. Ahsoka was not afraid to use the powers that are seen as the Dark Side like the Jedi were, perhaps it's no wonder she felt like an outcast in the Order. Maybe she wasn't cut out to be a true Jedi, maybe like Leia, she was meant to be a Grey Jedi, a Jensaarai or according to some of the books she read, she might have brought back the Jed'aii Order. Even her father-in-law have often found the Order to be too strict, suffocating and perhaps too deep in the Light and they both certainly disagreed about the idea of forbidding attachments and shutting off emotion. Sure, even that has to be controlled too, Ahsoka let it costume her and she became obsessed, but she would not have fallen had the Jedi Council put more fate in her, trusted her. In essence, the Jedi are to blame for her wife's fall to the Dark Side too. Her thoughts were then broken when she heard a clatter coming from the garage. She found it odd, the shop is sealed on all sides, who could have managed to get in? Deciding to investigate, Kaeden reached for the drawer where she keeps her DC-17 Blaster Pistol, it actually belonged to her wife, she left it in their apartment before running off to Mustafar to kill the Separatist leaders; the last reminder. Taking the safety off, the mechanic set the pistol to stun, unless the intruder is armed himself, she can quickly switch to kill. Kaeden left her office to check the garage.

Stepping into the garage, a large area of space for her customer's to land their ships on, Kaeden switched on the light. Cautiously walking, her old rebel instincts kicking in, Kaeden began making her advancement through the garage, keeping her weapon trained up and eyes darting left and right. Perhaps she should have contacted security for back up, but she knows her own shop and was taught how to defend herself. After checking the whole perimeter, it appeared there was nothing out of the ordinary and the only Larte sibling was imagining things. It could be her hypervigilance kicking in again, not surprising considering the Galactic Civil War ended three years ago. Turning her heel to leave the garage and return to her lunch break, a voice brought Kaeden back to reality.

"I finally found you." Twisting around, Kaeden faced her intruder, only for her eyes to widen with horror and shock. She let out an ear-piercing scream that could ripple the Force itself.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular

Cyar'ika: Darling/Sweetheart

Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum: I'm still alive but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal

Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la: Not gone, merely marching far away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Escalated quickly? Who do you think found Kaeden? I'll leave it up to you guys. Oh, Padmé is dead too. Sorry (not really?) about that, but even a Fulcrum agent's luck can run out. Just another reason to hate Ahsoka/Darth Véurr even more. Order 37 does exist, in Legends and it was a bitch of an order. Stayed tuned for Part II!
> 
> Bye!


	5. The Past Always Haunts You Part II (7 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, there is a girl living in a castle, guarded jealously by an Akul. However, this is no fairytale. This is a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING before you read the second part of this arc. I am describing, if not only brushing some very delicate topics some maybe uncomfortable with. Therefore, I will be raising the rating to an M and the warnings tags will be added. If you do not like what I covered or uncomfortable, then do not read. Wait till the next part.
> 
> Other than a few cameos, there's not much to say. The content is kind of summed up in the chapter summary.
> 
> *I also noted a GRIEVOUS error that I have to retcon in the other one-shot The Funeral Pyre. In this, Leia still has Ahsoka's lightsaber, but I forgot she handed it back to Katooni, trading them for her pair of lightsabers Ahsoka made prior to The Siege of Mandalore. That will have to be changed for this. 
> 
> (Retcon now ratified as of 16 Sept 19)*
> 
> It's up to your opinion, but I feel I got a little lazy at the end. Signs that Writer's Block is starting to hit me.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter?

_"Love is the most beautiful of dreams and the worst of nightmares."_

\- Aman Jassal, Rainbow; _The Shades of Love_

* * *

Chapter 5: The Past Always Haunts You - The Waking Nightmare

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other sources; e.g.: Communication terminals, Comlinks, Force bonds_

* * *

Character Profiles:

Kaeden Larte:

Age: 46 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic, Retired Rebel

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

****

Luke Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa (Birth); Outer Rim/Tatooine; Outer Rim (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Representative of the New Republic Senate, Former Rebel Pilot

****

Darth Véurr (formerly Ahsoka Tano):

Age: 17 (Human)/34 (Clone) Years

Planet of Origin: Shili; Expansion Region (Birth)/Kamino; Wild Space (Clone Birth)

Species: Togruta (Clone)

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Knight, Former General of The 332nd Battalion, Former Leader of Akul Squadron, Former Mentor, Sith Lady, General of The 332nd Stormtrooper Battalion

* * *

_ Year: 7 ABY… _

_ Morning… _

_ One Week After Kaeden's Disappearance… _

Canon: _Post-Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Larte-Tano Mechanics, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE JUST DISAPPEARED!?" Screeched a loud voice belonging to Grey Jedi Knight Leia Organa-Skywalker. She had returned from a diplomatic mission on Mandalore last night, then only this morning at zero-six-thirty she was contacted by Coruscant Police to come down to Larte-Tano Mechanics. Luke, by pure chance, was on the planet too, he decided to take a break from his Jedi Holocron hunts to relax and check up on the living civilian of Raada. It was chance that Leia contacted him via their Force bond and demanded that he gets his skinny ass over to the repair shop. According to the information they got, Kaeden was working the repair shop as she normally does, generally works till eighteen-hundred or overtime if needs be. She also has some hired hands when the former farmer is on her day-offs, seemingly they are old friends of Katooni, met them not long after she left the Order. The other three mechanics are Nyx Okami and two sisters, Trace and Rafa Martez. The three of them got worried after the week passed, they heard nothing from Kaeden, she usually sends out a message to let them know the shop is opened. When they got no message from her the first time, they assumed that she was sick or wasn't in the mood to come into work and they went in to keep business going. This carried on until Rafa voiced her concern that this wasn't like their boss, so while Nyx and the younger Martez sibling held the fort, Trace went to Kaeden's home via her speeder. It was only then the alarm was raised, Kaeden was not in her home and that is how they are all here now. Kaeden Larte is missing or she was kidnapped, the premises of the repair shop were examined, no sign of a struggle, no blood, there was hardly any evidence to go by to piece together what happened. The only clues that were noted are the broken… crushed security holo-cams dotted around the outer perimeter. Security and police tried to check for footage, but everything from the system was wiped and the computers were destroyed, nothing was salvageable, which is why Leia was contacted, who in turn roped her brother in to see if they can sense something non-Force sensitives cannot. Leia believed some other force was at work and Luke was in agreement about that. They asked the Coruscant Police if they can examine the shop themselves, but no one, other than them can come in, the police accepted those terms. Let the Jedi do their Jedi things.

Luke and Leia passed the guards, ignoring the news reporters behind them trying to get information and entered the repair shop. The main entrance was basically the reception and waiting room, behind it must be the garage, where the repairs are carried out. The entire place looked relatively untouched, except for Kaeden's main office where all the security footage is stored, her console is the only thing that is destroyed. Luke opted to explore the garage, while Leia went into the office to see if she can find any clues. The door to the office opened with a quiet hiss, there she saw the destroyed computer console, there was no way anyone could salvage anything from that, even for the best slicer in the entire galaxy. The console is completely damaged beyond repair, all the important evidence they needed is gone! How are they supposed to figure out what happened to Kaeden now? That was when Leia's face slightly scrunched, she saw something about the ruined console. The Grey Jedi ran her hand over the marks, they were long cooled down by now, but there was something unique about these marks. They could only be caused by a weapon that can cut through almost anything and she knew what that weapon was a lightsaber. The next question is: who got their hands on a lightsaber? Why would this person with such a weapon go after Kaeden? Stepping back, Leia's foot hit an object, she picked it up and pressed a button, turning the device on. The device came to life, revealing a holo-photo, a holo-photo of Kaeden and… Leia's face fell. The other person was a Togruta, it was Ahsoka, her and Luke's older sister. Leia has to admit, her adopted sister is stunning to look at, so that is what she looked like before being entombed to her cybernetic suit. A part of Leia hated Ahsoka, Darth Véurr or not, for ruining their lives, tearing the family she barely knew apart, for destroying the Galactic Republic. It's her fault that she, Luke, Kaeden, Slip (CT-4056) and the Rebellion had risen to right her wrongs. While it was noble for Ahsoka to protect her wife out of love, she let it consume her, take over her and because of that, she chose the Dark Side. Ahsoka showed her selfish nature to the galaxy, her family, she did all this for the one person she loved; consequences on others be damned. Her Togruta sister probably would have no problem ripping the entire galaxy apart just for Kaeden, thinking about it now, Ahsoka was not just doing this out of love, it was selfish love. The person who used to be a Jedi Knight didn't care about anyone else once Kaeden was safe.

_"Is all of this my fault? Am I the reason my wife fell to the Dark Side?"_ Now Leia understood what Kaeden meant by those words when she spoke to her on Naboo when she and Luke invited her over to relax with them. Maybe there is some truth to Kaeden's words, if she never met their sister, there may have been a chance Ahsoka would never have fallen to the Dark Side and become Darth Véurr. The Dark Protector, yet looking at the holo-photo, Ahsoka looks so happy, as does Kaeden. Like she told her before, Kaeden taught Ahsoka what it means to be truly happy; Luke and Leia know their Togruta sibling never had a good childhood, came from a pretty rough beginning, but neither their father, mother, Kaeden or even Slip went into much detail about it. The other person who would know and was also closest to Ahsoka is not a person, but a droid. Her trusty and loyal astromech named R7-A7. The droid was built by their father as a gift to their sister when she turned ten, it was also the year she met their mother. Ahsoka got attached to the astromech, cared for the droid as of it were a person, she knew a droid wouldn't hurt her unless someone planted a virus or hacked into the droid. It was said the Jedi Knight entrusted everything to the droid who recorded it, her deepest secrets, her desires, fears, concerns, frustrations, everything; even things she could not bring herself to Anakin and Padmé. All that information about their sister is locked away, sadly ever since her fall to the Dark Side, R7 even recorded her attacking Kaeden, which further proved Véurr's memories were warped by Darth Sidious; the astromech simply shut itself down, hibernation for the lack of a better word and has not woken up since then. The astromech was asleep for twenty-six years. No one in The Rebel Alliance could reactivate the astromech, not the best slicer, mechanic, engineer or even R2-D2 (Artoo) and C-3PO (Threepio). For now, the little rusty red and white astromech is kept in her apartment on 500 Republica, it's actually Padmé's apartment. Leia actually wonders how much R7 knows about their sister and why did it choose to shut itself down? Was the droid that traumatised by the change in its friend? She was brought back to reality when Luke entered the room.

"I don't know who took Kaeden, Leia. This kidnapper though is heavily clouded with the Dark Side." That explains the icy chill she felt through the Force when entering the shop. Kaeden's kidnapper is a Dark Sider, but that could be anyone, Dark Jedi included or in a far fetched long run; a surviving Inquisitor.

"We have to track down Kaeden first. We find Kaeden, we'll find the kidnapper." She replied,

"And how do you propose we do that?" Luke questioned,

"I don't know." Was her answer, as lame as it was. For the first time in his life, as smart and intuitive his sister can be, Luke really wanted to slap Leia.

_ One Week Ago… _

_ Evening… _

_ Days Since Kaeden's Disappearance: 1 _

( _Scene: Bedroom, Fourth Floor, Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Finding herself gaining consciousness, Kaeden groaned as she tried to get her mind together. She could not recall fully what happened other than someone broke into her repair shop, screaming, then she blacked out. There was a throbbing pain at the back of her head, indicating she was indeed knocked out, there's a possible chance she has a very mild concussion; though the sleep must have helped ease the pain. Pulling herself together, Kaeden sat up, finding herself on a bed, a soft, large double bed. That took her by surprise. Her attacker knocked her out, kidnapped her, only to leave her on… a bed? Why is she not being treated as a typical prisoner? Standing up, Kaeden walked over to the window, only to see a slight bluish haze to it.

"Ray shielded, of course." She said to herself, but what took her by surprise is where she is. A land filled with volcanoes, ash and fire. It's a planet she never wanted to go back to. "Mustafar." All the terrible memories of this place flooded her mind, confronting Ahsoka, attempting to persuade her to leave everything behind and then… she attacked her.

"You are correct." A voice said behind her. Kaeden spun around, seeing her kidnapper and it all came back when she thought this was some sort of cruel, sick joke. Her gaze was pierced by a pair of red-rimmed yellow-gold eyes. The person before her stood at six foot one, orange skin, navy-blue and white lekku and the white facial markings were oh so familiar. She also wore armour, a pair of vambraces, a breastplate, a fauld to protect her lower body and upper legs; to protect her lower legs are a pair of greaves. This is all finished off with grey sleeves and a tunic to compliment the pitch-black armour pieces and her long, sweeping black cloak clipped to a pair of shoulder armour. Too many memories, good, bad and haunting flooded her head. It can't be her, she can't be alive. Leia and Luke killed her on the Death Star II, how can she be here and looking like… that!? "I welcome you to my humble abode, Kaeden." It is her! It's Darth Véurr, she's actually alive!

"How are you here?" Demanded Kaeden, "You're dead!",

"My original body is dead. You and your friends freed my soul and I took over the cloned body that the Kaminoans kindly created for me." Véurr gave Kaeden a smirk that literally sickened her. The same smirk Ahsoka would give her when she's being smug, even in one of their petty arguments or playful teasing. It was so much easier to look at Véurr in her armour, but now that she is… herself… Kaeden's stomach is doing flips. Seeing the Sith Lady with her lover's face and her voice, only sounding much more mature. She simply wanted to do nothing but vomit. "I spent so long trying to track you down, ner cyare." Hearing that word made Kaeden snap. Ahsoka and Véurr may have been intertwined back in her beginnings as a Sith, but this… inside that body, the body of her wife is only Darth Véurr. She has no right to call her that or use the word which Ahsoka called her. Darth Véurr is not Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano.

"Don't you dare call me that!" The mechanic snarled, "You have no right!" Her reaction only made the Sith Lady chuckle. It's so frightening to see how Véurr sounds like 'Soka, yet be so different from her at the same time, the Togruta made her approach towards Kaeden, making her take steps back. However, she hit the window sill and Véurr was standing right into her personal space before she could count to five, it was scary. Sure, Ahsoka would get into her space sometimes, but it would be in a playful manner or when she is holding her in her arms; Véurr is stepping into it like a predator smelling its prey, smelling the fear that Kaeden is giving off. She had little choice but to stare right into the Lady of the Sith's eyes, then she felt a hand running along her face, brushing her cheek before falling onto her hips and quite possessively. Before her fall, yes she has been possessive on one or two occasions, but this Sith Lady takes it to a whole other level and taking into account she has been stalking her for the past who knows how long like an obsessed lover! She then felt Véurr's armour dig into her hips, as she leaned close to her right ear and spoke.

"You've hardly changed, cyar'ika." Another word Ahsoka used to call her and now being abused by Véurr. Kaeden's stomach was doing twists and knots, she prayed to the Force to let this be a nightmare, a bad dream. Let her wake up back on Coruscant, in her apartment about to get up, dressed and ready to open up the repair shop. "Feisty, fiery and always willing to put up a fight. That is what I love about you and I will make you mine." And Kaeden knew this not a nightmare to wake up from, she is living a nightmare. Her life in Sith Hell has begun.

The beginning of her torment began when Darth Véurr kissed her.

The beginning of her nightmare began when Kaeden felt her clothes being removed.

_ Next Day… _

_ Morning… _

_ Days Since Kaeden's Disappearance: 2 _

( _Scene: Bedroom, Fourth Floor, Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden's eyes shot open, sharply sitting up on the bed and wearing practically nothing underneath, she bare naked. Looking around in a frantic manner, Véurr was nowhere to be seen, she must have woken up before her and left. She found that good, as she shakily got out of the bed with a blanket to cover her. Finding the wardrobe, all Kaeden found was a black dress to change into, along with spare undergarments, once she showered in the refresher. Finding the refresher attached to her bedroom, Kaeden stepped inside, removed the blanket that kept her covered and stepped into the shower. The water ran down her body, it was soothing, relaxing her tense and sore muscles; she found hand-shaped bruises on her arms, her wrists and love bites dotting her dark-skinned body. Unlike Ahsoka when they engaged in sexual activity, it was out of pure love, neither of them trying to hurt one another; Darth Véurr on the other hand, she was… possessive, there was lust in her eyes and Force, she was rough on her. No doubt that stemmed from her memories of being entombed in her armour, her four limbs only being cybernetics, Véurr lost her ability to feel. The lack of being unable to feel physical contact must have been near maddening for the Sith Lady and now that she is no longer limited to her armour in her cloned body; Véurr is experiencing feeling again, but it gives no right for what she has done! Kaeden feels… disgusted with herself, dirty, she feels violated. This was done without her consent, Véurr didn't bother asking for her consent. What Kaeden has traumatically experienced isn't just sex. Darth Véurr sexually assaulted, more on the side of aggravated and raped her. It was a hard thing to swallow and admit to herself. As the water ran over her, all Kaeden could feel was Véurr's hands all over her, touching her, the way she roughly grounded her hips against her. She even put her fingers inside her, her tongue tasting the damped walls of her vagina. She could get the look of lust out of her head and Kaeden was powerless to stop her. Darth Véurr raped Kaeden Larte-Tano, how can she ever recover from that? Kaeden leaned her back against the wall, all she could do was hug herself and cry.

_ Two Hours Later… _

_ Mid-day… _

By the time Kaeden managed to calm herself down, dry and change into her clothes, her door was rudely slammed open. She was met with by the stormy glare belonging to Darth Véurr, her eyes looked as if they were glowing, she is a predator after all. Kaeden really wished she had a weapon to defend herself with, even if it is a measly blaster pistol or her trusty DC-15S Blaster Carbine. After what the Sith Lady did to her last night, Kaeden wants nothing more than to run the lightsaber clipped on Véurr's hips, through her chest. Despite still feeling traumatised by what Véurr did, Kaeden is not going to let this Sith break her. The true question is: how long can she last before Lady Véurr does break her? How long till Luke and Leia realise she is missing? Will anyone come to save her from this nightmare?

"You let your breakfast go cold.",

"Well sorry for not knowing I could leave my room, Sith sleemo." Realising too late she ran her tongue and in truth, forgetting Darth Véurr has a very, very bad short fuse. Before she count to three, Kaeden found herself being flung forward, her back smacking roughly against the wall. The Force has her entire body locked, she couldn't move, then she saw Véurr's hand twist into a claw and it meant one thing. Upon instinct, Kaeden scratched at her neck, feeling it being constructed by an invisible hand, that being the Force and she began to gag as her air supply was being cut off.

"I see I have not broken you in enough." Véurr said to her in a sultry tone, but it also layered a warning. "Rule number one of this household: always be submissive to the Master." Now Kaeden believes this Sith Lady was truly delusional. There is no way she will be submissive, what Véurr wants is some kind of… Master-Slave relationship. The way Kaeden sees it, she is just some kind of property to Darth Véurr, heck! A pleasure slave even. The Lady of the Sith deludes herself that she loves her, but this relationship she seeks is not love, this is abuse! This is control! "Rule number two: never back answer the Master." She then made advancement on Kaeden, lowering her to the floor and released her Force Choke, allowing the mechanic to inhale sharply. That was when Véurr's right hand pushed her back into the wall and like the night before, Kaeden found herself in the exact same powerless position. "Since you broke rule two, I'll have to punish you." Kaeden felt Véurr's hand snake under her silky black dress. No! She wasn't ready. Not after last night! "I like black on you. Too bad I'll have to tear it apart." The Sith Lady ran her tongue over Kaeden's neck, sending cold, icy shivers up her spine. "You will remove my armour." Upon hearing that order, Kaeden was powerless to resist the Force Suggestion and her body obeyed, finding the clasps in each of the armour pieces, each piece fell to the floor with a clatter. Shortly, Véurr was standing over her in her grey tunic and leggings.

_ Sometime Later… _

_ Afternoon… _

Darth Véurr woke herself up, seeing Kaeden's back towards her. The Sith Lady's hand was wrapped over her lover's shoulder, the woman was clearly still asleep, no doubt the ' _punishment_ ' took its toll on her. In a technical sense, they should be the same age, but since Véurr cloned herself, donating her DNA to the Kaminoans in 11 BBY, she ordered the scientists to use the same age-accelerating gene the Clone Army had and tweak so that the said gene would switch off when she reaches seventeen standard years. Therefore, physically, Véurr is thirty-four years old, but in truth, she is seventeen; the same age when she first met Kaeden Larte on Coruscant. It was no mistake the Force destined them to meet, they were meant to be, unlike her pathetic weaker half that she took joy in destroying, Véurr can give Kaeden anything she desired. Perhaps she can bring back her little sister Miara, her parents, restore Raada even, Lady Véurr can give Kaeden the entire galaxy, give her power. The entire galaxy is a much better gift than running a lowly mechanics shop, the love of her life deserved more and Véurr is adamant she will not let Kaeden go. It must have been a true miracle that she survived Anakin Skywalker's attack, she saw the blade go right through her unless he missed her vital organs. The Lady of the Sith spent thirteen years denying Kaeden's death, denying the memory of Skywalker's lightsaber skewered through her wife's chest. The denial of her ' _death_ ' was almost maddening, she vowed to strike down Skywalker as retaliation, revenge and then Padmé would join him. Darth Véurr almost and truly went berserk when she found Kaeden's gravestone on Raada during the massacre in 6 BBY, then she was seeing her wife's ghost, followed by seeing that same ghost in physical form on Hoth come to 3 ABY. It wasn't till that year later, in the middle of her meditation, going through that moment, did she finally convince herself that Kaeden was truly alive and right in front of her. The former Apprentice of Darth Sidious did not care if anything happened to her original body, her clone was ready, the vessel was ready and waiting for her own soul to take over it. She discovered her Master's notes about soul transfers and possession, unknown to his knowledge, Véurr stole his research to use for herself, that was 12 BBY; it wasn't till 11 BBY she gave her DNA to the long neck scientists when she made a private trip to Kamino. It took the Kaminoans a year to perfect her clone, the vessel was perfected in 10 BBY. Véurr was amazed, despite her Master's foresight, he could not foresee her own plans to kill him. Sidious was just too focused on wanting to turn the Skywalker twins. It played well into her hands, after all, treachery is the way of the Sith, no wonder the Sith Old were killing each other and Darth Bane introduced The Rule of Two. She kept her cloning process a secret from Lord Sidious and he did not suspect a thing, it was almost pathetic for an old, learned man in the ways of the Dark Side. He thought he had her under his control, linked to his chain, but that was not the case; as Sidious grew weaker, overconfident, complacent like the Jedi, she was growing in strength and knowledge. Véurr was breaking her chains, she was bound to no one but herself. She actually debated about cloning Starkiller after he sacrificed himself, dying in 2 BBY to save his ' _friends_ '. He was such a lost potential, a powerful Force user, so powerful even her Master was jealous of his Force abilities, by the Force, he was able to overpower her while she was trapped in her suit! However, she decided against it, let the weak Apprentice stay dead.

Originally, the cloned body was merely a backup plan, but ever since realising that Kaeden was actually alive, her wife can now see her without the horrible black amour and constantly hearing the sound of a respirator. Running her thumb against her sleeping wife's cheek, caressing it lovingly, Véurr noticed some red scratches on Kaeden's back. She unintentionally went too rough on her, but it can be punishment at the same time for disobeying her. With enough time, more or less, the mechanic can and will be broken, submissive and never again disobey her.

"You belong to me." Darth Véurr whispered out loud, her tone very possessive. "You belong to no one else, but me ner cyar'ika."

_ Three Days Later… _

_ Afternoon… _

_ Days Since Kaeden's Disappearance: 5 _

( _Scene: Meditation Chamber, Ground Floor, Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Lady Véurr sat in her private meditation chambers. Three days have gone by and her wife still refuses to break, but in the Sith's perspective, you can only hold out so long till you do break. That time will come, but Véurr is not normally one for patience and Kaeden is testing her patience. It seems her cyare needs a little more… persuading, with a push, a push into a corner. Darth Véurr knew exactly what to do, she has some contacts with a few bounty hunters and mercenaries, it is time to call up a few. She knew who to call, they owe her a favour. Finding the communications console in the chamber, Véurr tapped a couple of buttons. She didn't have to wait long for her call to be answered and a hologram appeared, revealing an elderly, but still, a muscled man wearing what appears to be worn Clone armour, Clone Commando armour to be exact.

_"Can't say I'm surprised you are alive."_ He grunts, _"You were always resourceful Lady Véurr."_ ,

"I'm flattered by the compliment, Boss (RC/IC-1138). I need you and your boys to do me a favour." Said Véurr in a matter-of-fact tone,

_"Well, we do owe you after you helped us locate Sev (RC/IC-1207)."_ Boss sighed. It was clear all he and his men wanted to do was live the rest of their days in peace. Though Lady Véurr offered her resources to find Sec and did so successfully, it was right to accept any favours that she wants in return. Boss will always be in her debt for reuniting him, Fixer (RC/IC-1140) and Scorcher (RC/IC-1262) with their lost vod. _"What are your orders?"_ ,

"There's a repair shop located on the upper levels of Coruscant. It's called Larte-Tano Mechanics. I want you and your boys to burn it, send me the footage." Boss almost raised an eyebrow, Véurr simply wants him and his brothers to cause… property damage? He doesn't know her reasons, he won't ask, as he said to himself before, her owes Véurr a favour. Boss better find the bombs then. "How much?",

_"No price. The boys and I just want to be left alone."_ ,

"We have ourselves a deal then. Carry this out as quickly as possible." With that, former Republic and Imperial Commando Boss saluted his superior and the transmission ended. This will surely get Kaeden to listen and obey her now.

_ A few Hours Later… _

_ Evening… _

( _Scene: Bedroom, Fourth Floor, Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden was still sitting on her bed, hugging herself. She's scared now, she has so far resisted obeying Véurr, who is more obsessed with her than in love, her shields are beginning to crack, slowly breaking; Kaeden does not know how much longer she can last. Darth Véurr continues to rape and sexually assault her night after night consecutively, her whole body aches from the pain it is being subjected to. The bruises and scratches covering her body says it all. Where are Luke and Leia? Wouldn't have located her by now? Why is it taking them so long? Of course, how can they trace her when Véurr destroyed all the holo-cam footage and the holo-cameras themselves? All the evidence they needed was wiped, it's gone. No wonder the two Jedi are finding it difficult to locate her. She then heard the door open, who else would it be? It's Darth Véurr. Kaeden's muscles tensed out of both self-defence and fear, fear of being raped by the Sith Lady again, her sexual needs are… insatiable and add the fact her stamina matches that of a Rancor and an Akul. Looking down, there was an object in Véurr's hand, a small round silver device. The Sith Lady used the Force to give it to her and placing it on the bed.

"What is this?" She asked, her voice slightly shaky.

"Turn it on and you'll find out." Véurr replied, the sounding irritable smirk. Without saying another word, Kaeden turned the device on and from what she saw, she wished she had not. Her face fell with shock, denial and despair, her eyes widened, the device contained footage of her establishment being burnt down. Darth Véurr hired someone to burn her repair shop to the ground. "There were also three… unfortunate casualties." Three casualties!? Kaeden instantly figured who she was on about. The casualties are her other hired mechanics! Nyx Okami, Trace and Rafa Martez! They're… they're dead and they died such horrible deaths! Burned alive just like Véurr, which is what got her in the suit. The mechanic's anger rose, it took her a year and a half to set up her shop and Véurr just… just took it all away from her. How can she ever rebuild again!? Kaeden jumped off the bed and tossed the device back at Véurr, completely missing her. It smashed against the wall instead, as Lady Véurr stood before her with smug confidence and her arms crossed.

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed, "I FUCKING HATE YOU! YOU'RE A MONSTER!",

"Good, we're now off to a grand start. It will make breaking you more enjoyable, my pet." And Véurr left Kaeden alone, locking the door on the outside, to leave her to suffer. Falling to the floor, Kaeden broke down crying, Darth Véurr is successfully finding ways to get under the skin, chipping away at her. She feels she is going to break, her repair shop being burned down and the deaths of three of her friends are now hitting the hardest. What will be the last thing that will drive her over the edge? What will break Kaeden so much to the point she will have to just accept being submissive to Véurr?

Will she be saved from nightmare? Will it be too late by the time she is rescued?

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular

Ner: My/Mine

Cyar'ika: Darling/Sweetheart

Vod: Brother/Sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As if Darth Véurr could be any more sick minded, deranged, obsessed and insane. She is not mentally stable and practically abusing Kaeden. Véurr is under the delusion that Kaeden is in love with her still, but just treats her like a piece of property. If you want to picture Darth Véurr's appearance, think Rebel Ahsoka (Fulcrum), except her armour pieces are black.
> 
> I told myself this was going to be a two parter, but things always end up in threes at maximum.
> 
> To clear things up, there's a difference of definition between Sexual Assault (it's technically aggravated in this) and Rape. While definitions slightly differ in each country, I'm giving the definition under the laws of the Republic of Ireland of Number 32 of 1990, Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act.
> 
> Rape under Section 4: (1) In this means a sexual assault that includes—
> 
> (a) penetration (however slight) of the anus or mouth by the penis, or
> 
> (b) penetration (however slight) of the vagina by any object held or manipulated by another person.
> 
> (2) A person guilty of rape under section 4 shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.
> 
> (3) Rape under section 4 shall be a felony.
> 
> Now it only appears that this definition is your typical rape crime on a woman or girl, but it can happen to anyone. Men and young boys can be victims too (referring to the Church Abuse Scandal).
> 
> (Aggravated) Sexual Assault under Section 3: (1) In this Act “aggravated sexual assault” means a sexual assault that involves serious violence or the threat of serious violence or is such as to cause injury, humiliation or degradation of a grave nature to the person assaulted.
> 
> (2) A person guilty of aggravated sexual assault shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.
> 
> (3) Aggravated sexual assault shall be a felony.
> 
> Kaeden has suffered both. She is going to be traumatised.
> 
> Now as I said, laws are different country to country, but I am choosing the ones of the country I am living in. Remember, these crimes can happen to either gender.
> 
> Stay tuned for Part IV, the conclusion of this arc.


	6. The Past Always Haunts You Part III (7 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Leia learn about their lost sister. The rescue mission goes underway, but not everyone will leave alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what can I say? It's a whopper and sorry if it looks like my Description-Dialogue ratio has gone out of whack at the end, cause it has. I know I said this will strictly be a 3-parter, well… it will finally conclude in Part IV.
> 
> I have also noticed some, slight inconsistencies that I have to fix. I promise I will sort them out.
> 
> There is a reason this chapter is named after the same OST title from Star Wars Rebels, composed by Kevin Kiner. Might recommend listening to it on repeat while reading it.
> 
> Sit down with a cup of tea/coffee and enjoy? Cry?

_"End?_

_No, the journey doesn't end here._

_Death is just another path._

_One that we all must take."_

\- J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Return of the King_

* * *

Chapter 6: The Past Always Haunts You - It's Over Now

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time, Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other sources; e.g.: Communication terminals, Comlinks,_

_Force bonds, Holograms_

**_Bold/Italics: Voices from Force Ghosts/Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Kaeden Larte:

Age: 46 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic, Retired Rebel

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

****

Luke Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Tatooine; Outer Rim (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Representative of the New Republic Senate, Former Rebel Pilot

****

Captain Slip (CT-4056):

Age: 39 (Human)/78 (Clone) Years

Born: 32 BBY

Planet of Origin: Kamino; Wild Space

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clone)

Affiliation/Position: Former Captain of The 332nd Battalion, Former Leader of Akul Squadron, Unofficial Commander of The 3rd Ranger Battalion, Former Rebel Commander

****

Han Solo:

Age: 39 Years

Born: 32 BBY

Planet of Origin: Corellia; Core Region

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Smuggler, Former Captain of The Rebel Alliance, Captain of the _Millennium Falcon_

****

Chewbacca:

Age: 207 Years

Born: 200 BBY

Planet of Origin: Kashyyyk; Mid Rim

Species: Wookiee

Affiliation/Position: Wookiee Warrior, Smuggler, Former Rebel, Co-pilot of the _Millennium Falcon_

****

Delta Squad (Boss [RC/IC-1138], Sev [RC/IC-1207], Scorch [RC/IC-1262], Fixer [RC/IC-1140]):

Age: 39 (Human)/78 (Clone) Years

Born: 32 BBY

Planet of Origin: Kamino; Wild Space

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Former Republican and Imperial Commandos

****

Darth Véurr (formerly Ahsoka Tano):

Age: 17 (Human)/34 (Clone) Years

Planet of Origin: Shili; Expansion Region (Birth)/Kamino; Wild Space (Clone Birth)

Species: Togruta/Clone

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Knight, Former General of The 332nd Battalion, Former Leader of Akul Squadron, Former Mentor, Sith Lady, General of The 332nd Stormtrooper Battalion

* * *

_ Present Day… _

_ Year: 7 ABY…_

_ Mid-day… _

_ Days Since Kaeden's Disappearance: 7 _

Canon: _Post-Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden was paralysed, not in a literal sense, but in the sense that her whole body is unresponsive. She laid trapped underneath the warm weight of Darth Véurr, as the Togruta roughly grounded her hips against her. Tears were sliding down her cheeks, but her silent cries were cancelled out by pleasurable moans from Véurr. The mechanic wanted to yell stop so terribly bad, but she knew the Sith Lady would not listen, it will only encourage her to go faster, harder, the grip on her wrists is like steel. No doubt Kaeden will once again have hand-shaped bruises on them, along with the scratches that mar her body, caused by Véurr digging her nails too deep. Time seemed to quickly pass but to Kaeden and Darth Véurr, it passed so slow and it wasn't long till Kaeden reached her climax, as did Véurr. Slowing her pace, the Sith Lady gently rocked against her lover as she left a trail of soft pecks down the side of her neck.

"Ner cyare." Muttered Véurr, as she left one last kiss on her wife's lips. Pulling away from the paralysed Kaeden, Lady Véurr got off the bed, putting on her grey tunic and black armour pieces, then clipping her cloak to the shoulder pieces. There is so much left to do still, getting rid of her lover's friends is a top priority. Following that, contact the Kaminoans to rebuild the Clone Army, rip up the foundations of the New Republic, the same way she did twenty-six years ago and reestablish the Galactic Empire. This time, it will be ruled under her name and under her vision, with Kaeden by her side. Once she achieves all that, Darth Véurr will be unstoppable and her name will go down in the history of the Sith line, yet still and all, it won't stop her hunger for more power and knowledge. Perhaps it is possible to achieve immortality, the thought of being an immortal excited her somewhat, she would not just be Empress of the Galactic Empire, she would be a God, a Sith Goddess. A goddess amongst the weak and feeble mortals, she will make them worship her. Yes, that is something she shall achieve once her reign is secure and her hold over all the planets is enforced with the reborn Clone Army; Véurr can't have another civil war breaking out. Yes, her Empire will be just as great and powerful, even rivalling the Eternal Empire ruled by Emperor Volkorion or going by his real name: Darth/Emperor Tenebrae. He also went by the name Emperor Vitiate. A thought came to her, if the Emperor of the Eternal Empire left behind any holocrons, she can seek them out. Imagine the knowledge in them, new powers to master if Véurr can find holocrons belonging to the strongest Sith Lords; that being Revan, Vitiate, Bane, Plageius, Nihilus and maybe even Zannah, she will be unstoppable. No one in the galaxy will ever dare challenge her, not even a Jedi or any Force user.

As Lady Véurr walked the halls of her fortress, it must be a miracle the rebels never found and destroyed it; her mind drifted even further. This fortress was built, which went through many redesigns, under her supervision and aid of a Force Ghost, a Sith Lord Force Ghost. She could also reestablish the old Sith Empire, train new apprentices, even abolish The Rule of Two. So much to think about for the future, which is why Véurr needs to unlock the secrets of immortality. Though in a roundabout way, the Togruta already did thanks to the notes she stole from her Master, her soul can possess others should anything happen to the vessel that holds her soul right now, maybe get the Kaminoans to create more clones of herself. The Sith needs a fail-safe, that is why she survived after Leia Organa-Skywalker killed her, or so she thought. Véurr is going to give the Skywalker twins another chance, either be her apprentice or this time, she will kill them. They can join their parents in the Cosmic Force, then balance will once again tip towards the Dark Side of the Force and the Sith Order shall prosper. The children of Skywalker are powerful in their ways of the Force, but they don't have her experience, for experience outranks everything; Captain Rex's (CT-7567) favourite line. If they don't kneel before her, death shall be their answer, they are too dangerous to be kept alive. Darth Véurr also has a hunch that Ezra Bridger is still alive, somewhere in the galaxy, she knows his potential and he must die, so does her weaker half's former Padawan: Katooni. Everything she is doing is not only for herself, but to make it a better place for Kaeden, to keep her safe. For now, she decided to go and meditate, as well as planning the rest of her schemes for power and dominance.

_ With Luke and Leia…  
_

_ Afternoon… _

( _Scene: Leia's Apartment, 500 Republica, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Luke followed his sister into her apartment, which so happened to be the one their mother lived in. It must sort of be painful for Leia, though she got used to it as time passed. Leia proceeded to head into the kitchen to make caff for both of them, as she set a small device on the table, it was the only thing she found in Kaeden's office and somehow survived the fire. If Kaeden hears her establishment is burnt down, she'll be so distraught. Three people died two days ago, identified as Nyx Okami and two sisters: Trace and Rafa Martez. The two Jedi Knights did what they could to examine what was left of the repair shop, while Kaeden made sure most of the building was fireproof, most of the structure was still standing, even it is pretty much a skeleton when they saw it, everything else is practically burned away. It all feels like a complete disaster, they are no close to locating Kaeden or identifying her kidnapper, the only clue they have is that the person who took their friend is a Dark Sider. As Luke looked around the apartment, his gaze fell upon an astromech that looked exactly like R2-D2, except the droid was red and white, not blue and white. It was the droid that once belonged to their older sister, R7-A7 has been asleep for twenty-six years now, who knows how many secrets it has stored about Ahsoka before she turned and became the monster that they know. Leia came strolling back into the sitting room with the two cups of caff, setting them both on the table and noticed her brother examining the R7 unit. She sighed.

"Forget about it, Luke. I've tried everything. No one can wake up R7.",

"Maybe there's a fail-safe our sister put in." He thought, "Perhaps a voice command or a safe word to reactivate it.",

"Even if she did, that safe word is probably long gone." Leia huffed, "There are millions of words she could have used. It's not like… cyare or cyar'ika are one of the passcodes." Without warning, Luke almost jumped out of his seat, along with Leia, seeing the little droid turn itself back on. Was it the word cyar'ika that reactivated it? Leia only heard of those words because Kaeden told her it was what Ahsoka often called her, she loved using affectionate Mando'a words. Anyways, it worked, they reactivated R7! The droid spun its head around before finding itself with two people it didn't know. R7 wondered how long he was asleep for, through the images he was processing, there was a tall man, about five foot six, sandy-blonde hair with blue eyes and looking like Anakin Skywalker for some strange reason. Then there's a woman standing at four foot nine, brown hair and eyes, appearing to be an almost carbon copy of Senator Amidala! What is going on? Turning his semi-domed head, R7 almost went hysterical when his gaze saw a lightsaber on the woman's belt, it belonged to his Master, his best… used to be best friend: Ahsoka Tano. How did it fall into her possession? There were so many questions he needed to ask. "Take it easy little guy." Said the female. "You've been asleep for twenty-six years." Now R7 went hysterical, running into a tangent of high pitched beeps and whistles.

"Hey, it's okay." The voice belonged to the male. "My name is Luke Skywalker and this is my twin sister, Leia Organa-Skywalker. Ahsoka would be our older adopted sister." The red and white astromech suddenly became sad upon hearing his friend's name. Upon the end of The Clone Wars, the droid became worried and terrified of his friend, Ahsoka became less talkative and more closed in on herself, she was tense. There was a look in her eyes that gave a sense of danger, predatory almost; the astromech knew something in his friend changed and not the good kind of change. Even if he is just a droid, R7 could feel a wave of dark aura coming off the Jedi Knight. It frightened him, so much it is why he went on shut down, to keep the past buried with him, in his memory storage banks and never be accessed. Turning to Leia, R7 asked how she came into possession of Ahsoka's lightsaber.

"Our sister's sabre? Our mother, Padmé had it, then she handed it to Bail and Breha Organa. They gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday, told me it belonged to the Skywalker couple's adopted daughter." Leia explained, "R7, I know this must be painful for you, but please. Can you show us what you knew about our sister? Before she became Darth Véurr?" The little astromech almost felt hesitant, he didn't feel like reliving those memories again but… hearing the sincerity from Leia and seeing the pleading looks from Luke, R7 let out a long-winded, low pitched whistle which would be the equivalent of a sigh. The twins knew the droid has given in to their pleas. Accessing his memory banks, R7 started off with the first video clip he recorded: his first meeting with ten-year-old Ahsoka Tano. The primary lens lit up, expanding a hologram, showing their father who switched on the astromech. They couldn't see R7 because he was recording from his perspective. The twins looked at their father with wonder, they have never seen him that young, well… he was twenty-one going on twenty-two. He was knighted pretty young, nineteen if they heard correctly, but their sister beat him on that, she was seventeen. Then their father spoke.

 _"Hey 'Soka! I have a surprise for you!"_ ,

 _"What is it?"_ Ahsoka asked him. Their sister entered the hologram. Force! She was so young and small even, she's only up to their father's waist! Even if the hologram is primarily blue, they can see her facial markings have not fully developed. It baffled Luke and Leia, how this ten-year-old child became the person who destroyed the foundations of the Jedi Order and the Republic. How did a ten-year-old child turn into a monster? Where did their parents go wrong? Where did the Jedi go wrong? They watched as Ahsoka's eyes lit up, beaming a wide smile on her face. _"No way! My own astromech!? Am I dreaming?"_ She's so innocent, may be hurt by her past, but innocent. Anakin chuckled at this Padawan.

 _"No dream, Padawan mine. This is an R7 unit I built from scratch, took me two years. Ahsoka, meet R7-A7, R7 for short. R7, meet your new companion and my Padawan: Ahsoka Tano."_ ,

 _"Hi R7, it's nice to meet you. I'm going to take good care of you, buddy."_ Anakin placed a comforting hand on the Togruta's shoulder,

 _"Happy birthday, Little 'Soka."_ It was her tenth birthday, year 29 BBY. The footage then switched to another point of their time together. Now, it appears to be their father again, he wasn't alone however, next to him was… Padmé. Their mother. She looks like an elegant angel, so young and youthful, she was what? Twenty-six at the time? They were standing side by side, their mom had an envelope in her hand, neither Luke nor Leia knew what it was. Judging by Anakin's body language, he looked nervous, it was nervous excitement and Padmé was giving off similar energy. Leia safely assumes this was taken in the exact apartment she is living in. _"'Soka! Padmé and I would like to talk to you."_ The young Padawan came in, looking nervous. She's scared she may have done something wrong, maybe under the fear she will be let go, abandoned and betrayed by those she opened up to.

 _"Did… did I do something wrong?"_ 'Soka questioned them, laced with heavy trepidation. Padmé just smiled at her, soft and warm.

 _"No, you've done nothing wrong. Ahsoka, remember when Anakin entrusted our secret marriage to you?"_ The Padawan nodded, _"When you told me your story, I can't express how angry I was at your treatment, what you went through. You didn't deserve the pain and suffering. I spoke to Ani after I met you and… we both came to an instant agreement."_ She handed Ahsoka the envelope, who took it from the Senator of Naboo. Ahsoka carefully peeled back the seal flap. There, she found a single piece of paper inside and pulled it out. Examining the paper, she was confused at first, which then shifted quickly to that of shock and disbelief. A look Leia could describe as ' _is this for real!?_ ', it seems her deduction and skills in reading body language was right.

 _"Is… is this…"_ Little 'Soka struggled to find her words over the shock that overcome her. Without warning, she leapt both into Padmé's and Anakin's arms, both of their parents holding her tighter. The twins can tell Ahsoka is crying, they figured out what footage this is, this is the moment their mother and father officially adopted Ahsoka.

 _"Yes, 'Soka. We are your parents now. You are our daughter, an Amidala-Skywalker."_ Anakin said softly,

 _"I love you, mom and dad."_ Ever since she was abandoned, Ahsoka feared opening up to people, trusting them, but now, it looked as if for the first time in her life she is experiencing love and happiness. Their parents gave the child the love she deserved, something 'Soka was denied at a young age. Switching to another recording, the footage was taken fast forward, the twins were now seeing seventeen-year-old Ahsoka Tano, from the looks of it, she is still a Padawan, indicated by the silka beads; since Tano had no hair. If they're correct, their parents held onto the beads, but Force knows where it is now. This must be before the war broke out between the Separatists and the Republic. She was sitting on her bed, it appears she is alone. _"I… I didn't want to tell mom and dad until I'm certain but…"_ The Padawan hesitated to speak to R7, so she took a deep breath before getting herself together. _"I met- um… more like crashed into this girl. Her name is Kaeden Larte, grew up on Raada, a farming moon in the Outer Rim. She got lost on the streets looking for the mechanics guild."_ Ahsoka then chuckled to herself. _"Remember when I came out to my parents last year? When we helped each other up, I just… I felt this spark and my Force signature felt a million times lighter! Do I sound like an idiot, buddy?"_ There was a series of beeps, which made their sister pout. _"I sound like a lovesick teenager? Gee, thanks R7."_ More beeps, it seems like the astromech was saying ' _you're welcome_ '. _"Well… I bought her lunch as an apology for crashing into her, even though Kaeden insists she crashed into me. What do I do, R7? Kaeden is… Kaeden is bringing out emotions in me that I don't understand."_ A few seconds later, R7 made his reply, making 'Soka cock her head to the side. _"Talk to mom? Are you crazy!? Well… she would be the better option than dad. Skyguy might try to hunt her down with The 501st Legion. Maybe you're right, mom will understand, girl to girl talk, y'know. Forget it, I'm going to sleep on this. Sorry for rambling, buddy. R7, thanks for listening. You really are a good friend, you're more than just a birthday gift from my dad."_ The hologram cut there. A bit like their father, Ahsoka treated droids, machines as if they were human, have emotion. It's kind of strange. How can anyone love a droid?

"Is that it?" Leia was exasperated. She knew there had to be more, she and Luke wanted to know more about the sister they never knew. "Please R7, show more of Ahsoka to us." The droid sighed again, knowing he is not winning this argument. If Leia inherited anything from her father or mother, it is probably making sure they will get what they want. Going through more of its memory banks, R7 brought up one of the more happier recordings he took: the secret wedding of recently knighted Ahsoka Tano and Kaeden Larte. The lens lit up and expanded the hologram, there Ahsoka and Kaeden stood before a priest, in some kind of chapel. To think this was done behind their parent's backs until she actually told their father sometime later or after one of the campaigns during the early days of the war. From what they could see, Ahsoka was wearing her Jedi robes, now mixed with some amalgamation of armour guarding her chest, shoulders, forearms and lower legs. Kaeden is wearing a simple dress, her long, braided hair beautifully tied back, they are both holding hands and in the middle of saying their wedding vows. They were both smiling, with joy and pure happiness.

 _"I, Ahsoka Tano, take you Kaeden Larte, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part and thereto I pledge you my love and faithfulness."_ It was wonderful to watch, to see them both so happy despite the circumstances they are in. Kaeden repeated the vows next.

 _"I, Kaeden Larte, take you Ahsoka Tano, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part and thereto I pledge you my love and faithfulness."_ Next was the exchanging of the rings. Leia knew Ahsoka carved the rings by hand, Kaeden had one, but she burned it with Ahsoka's body on Endor. If she made a second one for herself, then where is it? What happened to it? The priest spoke to them, for the exchanging of the rings.

 _"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you Ahsoka Tano, may place a ring on the finger of your bride."_ ,

 _"Kaeden Larte, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."_ Leia felt her eyes water slightly, quickly brushing it away. She just couldn't understand how her older sister threw her happiness away for darkness, evil, power, all the while under the delusion she is protecting her lover. She just could not get her mind to comprehend it all and Luke was feeling the same. Leia felt it through his Force signature and their natural Force bond. The priest then turned to Kaeden.

 _"By the same token Kaeden Larte, you may place the ring on the finger of your bride."_ ,

 _"Ahsoka Tano, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."_ The mechanic slid the ring on the Togruta's slender orange, despite the hologram being blue, finger. It slipped on perfectly.

 _"I am happy to announce you both, lovers for life. You may now kiss your beloved wife."_ Upon hearing that, Ahsoka gently pulled Kaeden forward and passionately kissed. They're officially and secretly married, unknown to their parents until they were told and certainly behind the backs of the Jedi Order. R7-A7 felt honoured to be present at the wedding, even to record it, it was the time he had seen his friend so, so happy. In fact, he was proud of Ahsoka, she truly found happiness in Kaeden. R7 wasn't sure if he should show the footage of Mustafar, what really happened, but that recording… it is the reason he shut himself down. Ahsoka attacked her own wife! That was what traumatised the astromech so much. However… the children of Skywalker deserve to know the truth, he isn't sure if Anakin, Padmé or Kaeden herself told them, but… they need to know. They need to know Ahsoka Tano died at that specific moment, if there was any sliver of her in there, she wouldn't have attacked Kaeden with her sabre, yet she did. At that moment, it wasn't Ahsoka, it was Darth Véurr. Making a considerable jump, R7 showed them what truly happened on Mustafar. Luke and Leia's face dropped when the footage was shown. Kaeden and Ahsoka locked each other in a tight hug.

 _"What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me."_ Ahsoka said to her wife,

 _"I could not wait any longer, 'Soka. Anakin and Padmé came to our apartment and told me horrific things."_ ,

 _"What things?"_ Their older sibling's tone sounded very clipped,

 _"That you went to the temple with your battalion and slaughtered everyone inside! You didn't even spare the Younglings."_ Kaeden revealed,

 _"Please understand Kaeden, the Jedi are traitors. I'm doing this to keep you safe, my Master told me the Jedi knew about our marriage all along. They planned to kill you, so I wouldn't be attached to anyone!"_ The Togruta's voice was quite desperate, wanting Kaeden to understand the justification for her actions. Ahsoka stretched out her hand, in an attempt to touch Kaeden and stepping forward, but her wife took steps back and the hurt was evident in her eyes. It was clear the mechanic was not accepting Ahsoka's answer. She also figured which Master the newly fledged Sith Lady was talking about: Darth Sidious.

 _"How is killing innocents and children justify this is all for me!? You took this too far, Ahsoka. Anakin was right, you are too deep in the Dark Side. I no longer know who you are, you are not the person I married!"_ And Kaeden was correct about that. Ahsoka was buried deep in the Dark Side's comforting, but corrupting embrace, she did nothing to fight it, only accept it and corrupting her even further, twisting her. Kaeden's reply caused the turned Jedi to pace like a prowling predator circling its prey.

 _"First the Jedi betray me. Followed by my parents and NOW YOU!"_ The twins flinched upon hearing the lost sibling yell at her wife, even R7. The yell actually frightened Kaeden, it made her wince. That was when Ahsoka looked up, away from Kaeden's line of sight. She saw something. _"You brought them here to kill me!?"_ Their mother and father! They must have stowed away on Kaeden's ship. Kaeden turned to where her in-laws stood, at the foot of the hatch, then returning her attention to her wife.

 _"Ahsoka, please! I can explain!"_ Kaeden desperately pleaded. Tano's face shifted to that of anger and rage.

 _"YOU TRAITOR!"_ Before anyone could blink, it happened so quick. In her blind anger, Ahsoka reached for her main lightsaber, the one Leia now had, swung her sabre and activating it simultaneously. The snap-hiss filled their ears, the green blade struck Kaeden across her stomach and she fell to the ground unconscious, while Padmé screamed in shock and horror. She was heavily pregnant with them at the time. Next, Ahsoka glared at her ' _parents_ '. _"You turned her against me!"_ She yelled accusingly, with a tinge of insanity behind it.

 _"You have done that yourself."_ Their father countered. Father and daughter began to circle each other, as Ahsoka shed her cloak, dropping it to the ground, ignoring what she did to Kaeden. Anakin was able to move Ahsoka away from his daughter-in-law, so Padmé could carefully run over and check on her.

 _"Don't lecture me, father."_ The fallen Jedi Knight spat, _"I see through your lies and mother's. You're nothing but a bunch of hypocrites, siding with the Jedi in secret and plotting to kill my wife!"_ Their father had a look of disbelief on his face. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, his daughter accusing him and Padmé of lying to her? Siding with the Jedi? A plot to kill Kaeden!? It was all lies, but Ahsoka was too blind to see through those lies. The only lies she believed were the ones fed to her by Darth Sidious. _"Neither of you really cared about me. Both of you only took me in out of pity."_ Véurr let out a cold chuckle, it sent shivers up Luke's and Leia's spines. _"Well, I don't need your pity."_ ,

 _"Ahsoka!"_ Padmé called out, _"Stop this madness, I beg you! Kaeden needs medical treatment! Surely you must see that!"_ ,

 _"I will help her once I kill you both!"_ She snarled, baring her canine teeth. _"You are both a threat to the peace my Master and I have at long last achieved! I brought peace, freedom, justice and security to our new Empire."_ ,

 _"Our new Empire?"_ Said Anakin, in a tone that made him laugh bitterly. All Padmé could do was protectively cling to Kaeden, who was unconscious with a threatening wound across her stomach and needs medical intervention fast. The mother of her adopted child cannot stop the impending physical confrontation. From the footage, the twins knew there was no way to further reason with Ahsoka's insanity. _"Ahsoka, our allegiance is to the Republic! THE DEMOCRACY!"_ Tano's back was turned to her former Master.

 _"I will kill you."_ She threatened, making Luke and Leia's stomachs churn. Upon hearing that, Anakin sighed and looked at his daughter in despair. He knew she was too far gone. She can no longer be reasoned with.

 _"Only a Sith deals in absolute."_ He replied, _"If restoring the Republic means I have to kill my own daughter."_ His hand reached for his waist and took his lightsaber from his belt clip, getting into his battle stance. _"I will do what I must."_ ,

 _"You will try."_ With those words, Anakin's lightsaber activated, as Ahsoka unclipped her's, igniting it mid backflip. The recording cut there just stopped without warning, it simply meant R7 couldn't watch any more. The children of Anakin and Padmé Amidala-Skywalker were just shocked at what they have watched. They couldn't believe R7 recorded that event, so that is what really happened, everything Véurr was spouting was lies, her memories were all wrong. Darth Sidious warped them and he did a pretty damn good job. She couldn't tell truth from lies, Ahsoka was just… too deep in the Dark Side, so deep she couldn't crawl back out, if she even wanted to. Over the span of twelve years, being an outcast on Shili for four years, almost sold into slavery, brought into the Jedi Order, was adopted by their parents and secretly married to the love of her life; Ahsoka threw all those away. Their sister didn't care about anything else once her wife was safe, the fallen Jedi Knight thought she didn't need anything as long as Kaeden was by her side. She would have set the whole galaxy on fire for her. While it was fascinating to see some of the recordings R7 showed them, it still doesn't answer where Kaeden is or who the kidnapper is that is responsible for her disappearance. Leia was about to talk to Luke until something or someone spoke behind them.

 ** _"I believe I can be of service to you, children of Skywalker."_** They both jumped, two lightsabers igniting and in their battle stance. Leia in her Ataru (Form IV) stance and Luke standing in Djem So (Form V). Their eyes widened and jaws slacked at who they saw before them. Their day just keeps getting better and better.

_ Meanwhile… _

( _Scene: Bar, Capitol City, Sundari, Mandalore, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Long retired Clone Captain and Rebel Commander Slip (CT-4056), sat on a bar stool having something to drink. He is finally enjoying his retirement, live out the rest of his remaining days until his accelerated ageing comes to bite him. Mandalore is now safe to live on thanks to Sabine Wren leading the Mandalorian Civil War and defeating the members of Clan Saxon. The Mandalorian Warrior is now with Katooni, Little Gods know where in the Unknown Regions trying to find Ezra Bridger. That young Jedi, former Padawan of Kanan Jarrus sacrificed himself to save his home world: Lothal, using the Force to command a group of… ancient space creatures called Purgils. Fascinatingly, these creatures are attune to light speed jumping, under Ezra's command they latched onto Grand Admiral Thrawn's Star Destoryer and just… took off. Slip downed another shot before refilling his glass. Memories of the past, the war came flooding back into his head, as he stared at a holo-photo of himself, Captain Rex, Commander Cody (CC-2224) and Commander Wolffe (CC-3636). He and Rex were recognisable by the 501st blue and 332nd burnt orange Jaig Eyes, Cody's was more simple and Wolffe had a grey and green design of well… a wolf. The Clone Wars may have been hard times, but they were the best as well, made good friends and lost some.

 _"I lost so many good men over that war."_ He thought to himself. Slip sipped his whiskey, before recalling names in his head. _"Jester (CT-4984), Hacker (CT-20-2156), Flash (CT-22-8190). Too many to name. They're all gone."_ After burning his General's body, a part of Slip can never forgive her. General Tano was the reason the Republic fell, gave a reason to initiate Order Sixty-six, enforced the Empire in its tyrannical rule and slaughtered hundreds of thousands. His General had become a Sith Lady, Slip didn't care that she used a different name, she was still General Tano in his perspective and it was her who had drawn so much blood. Tano didn't even have it in her heart to spare children and childbearing women, to her they were just animals, not people; they were traitors of the Galactic Empire. Slip has to agree with Kaeden, who had suffered the most of her wife's fall, the General had become a monster. Perhaps she was born or destined to destroy the galaxy, cleanse the universe by fire, who would have thought when the Jedi brought her into the Order at a late stage, they have been slowly writing their swan song. If he is honest with himself, Slip wished he never followed command of General Tano, never got close to her as a friend and sister in arms. It would have made things somewhat easier on him, truth be told, he missed his family, he missed The 332nd. He missed running drills, inventory checks, hanging out with the boys at _Seventy-nines_ , then trying to keep Jester's and Katooni's pranks under control; all the simple things he took for granted. It was all ripped away from him, because of his General, a monster in the waiting and the Emperor unleashed the monster inside her. No wonder the Togrutas of Shili and Kiros called her The Black Akul. Suddenly, his head turned to a slight angle when he heard voices, familiar ones, more Clones!? Some of his other brothers survived!? That must be a miracle! These voices belonged to the famous Clone Commandos. They're alive!?

"Do you really think she'll hold onto her word?" That must be Sev (RC/IC-1207). He was listed MIA or missing in action after a mission, when the rest of Delta Squad were told to retreat by orders of General Vos and General Yoda. They didn't want to leave Sev, but they were forced to. It hurt them all greatly. Who are they talking about? Who is this she? What deal did they struck now? Had they become mercenaries or bounty hunters?

"Keep your voice down, vod!" Hissed Boss (RC/IC-1138), "She honoured her word. We burn the repair shop, we'll be left alone." What!? Slip's eyes widened at what he was overhearing. The news of the burning of Larte-Tano Mechanics was broadcasted all over, Kaeden is one of the galaxy's best mechanics! Her shop is gone, because of Delta Squad? Who in the Little Gods hired them?

"We wouldn't have found you if it weren't for her, Sev. Be grateful, it makes sense we owed her a favour." Scorch (RC/IC-1262) said in a rough tone,

"I would have joined the rebellion if I wasn't found by Véurr and her lackeys!" The name of the Sith Lady piqued Slip's interest. What has Darth Véurr got to do with Kaeden's establishment being burnt down because of the Commandos? It was easy to put two and two together they were certainly hired- Slip's train of thought stopped there, heck! He almost choked on his whiskey, Luke and Leia killed Darth Véurr! There's no way she can be alive, it's impossible! He needed confirmation and to do that, Slip has to get the Commandos to confess, even if he has to punch it out of them. Everyone is fine about bar fights, you'd be surprised how common it is on Mandalore, if you're not having drinks in The Underworld of Coruscant, you know how rough bars get. Getting off the bar seat, Slip marched over to the table where the old Delta Squad were. One of the members, Fixer (RC/IC-1140) if Slip is correct, glanced over and his eyes widened, recognising a fellow Clone Trooper. The of the retired squad looked in his direction and their jaws dropped.

"I thought all the Clones were gone." Boss said,

"I can say the same, Delta Squad." Indicated by Slip's tone, the Commandos figured he was not in a good mood. If Slip's thoughts are right that Darth Véurr is somehow alive, survived her wounds and escaped the destruction of the Death Star II, the galaxy is screwed once again! The Sith Order still lives! "Now, please make this easy for me. I'll ask you four one question, answer honestly and I'll leave you boys in peace. If not," Slip unholstered one of his DC-17 Blaster Pistols, smacking it on the table with his thumb hovering over the safety. "You will all be leaving with a few holes in your armour." That was when he felt the barrel of a blaster being pinned against the side of his head. It was Scorch armed with his own DC-17.

"You know! Look here, Slip. My brothers and I did what we had to do.",

"Still taking orders from a Sith who is meant to be dead!?" The former Captain growled, "You troopers disgust me." Before Scorch could blink, it looked as if Slip never lost any of his fighting instincts or his reflexes. He knocked the pistol out of Scorch's hand, grabbed his arm, twisting it and pinned him to the table, Slip's elbow resting in the back of his neck. Pain was evident on his face due to his arm being turned at an uncomfortable angle and being trapped in a lock. "Just tell me the truth. I don't want to hurt you all. Look, I understand what it means to survive, but please. One of my closest friends is missing, her life is in danger. Tell me." The other three members looked at each other, Véurr is too busy with her prisoner to come after them, if what Slip is implying is true, they were only being used. Sev gave Boss the nod, to tell the retired Clone Trooper the truth.

"We aren't lying about owing Lady Véurr for finding our missing vod. She is the one who hired us to burn the repair shop. Darth Véurr is alive, I'm not sure how, but she is. I take it she has your friend." Slip got enough information, he has no time to punch a few teeth out or bash some heads in. Right now, he needs to get this information to Luke and Leia, they are not going to like this one bit. It actually so happens that Han and Chewbacca are planet side, Chewie was insistent to Han to come see him for a few drinks. Poor Han is going to get thrown into another whacky Jetiise adventure. Holstering his DC-17 and releasing Scorch, Slip just sprinted out of the bar. Hopefully after this, he would not have to kill Delta Squad, as much as he looked up to them in the past.

_ Back With Luke and Leia… _

( _Scene: Leia's Apartment, 500 Republica, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

The two Jedi Knights kept their lightsabers activated, pointed it at the unexpected visitor. They stared at the Force Ghost surrounded in a red hue, judging by the way this ghost is dressed and his Force Signature, this ghost is a supposed to be dead Sith Lord. Which is just great, the only question is: who is this Sith Lord? They don't know many Sith before Véurr's and Sidious's time. This Sith wore a helmet, only allowing his red eyes to peer through, Leia was unsure if that is the helmet or his actual eyes. Why are Sith so obsessed with hiding their faces? R7 on the other hand, slowly rolled back behind Luke feeling scared. The Force Ghost raised his arms, a sign of peace of some kind, he was not looking for a fight.

 ** _"I assure you, I mean you no harm."_** He said to them, his helmet slightly distorting his voice.

"Who are you!?" Leia demanded, "What kind of Sith Force Ghost just randomly appears, offering help?",

 ** _"Forgive my manners, Grey Jedi. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Darth Momin, former Apprentice of Darth Shaa and aspiring sculptor."_** The ghost bowed forward, one arm behind his back, the other his stomach. Quite a courteous Sith Lord.

"Never heard of you." Leia snarled, "What do you know about the situation my brother and I are in?" Chuckling, the now identified Force Ghost waved a single finger.

 ** _"Temper, temper, Miss Organa, much like your father. Not becoming of a Senator and a Jedi, while Grey Jedi are more liberal with their emotions; even they have to find a form of control."_** Luke was even losing his patience, but he put his lightsaber away, Leia did the same much to her digress. Their Force Signatures were still giving Momin a warning though and he took that warning to mind.

"What do you know? Do you know where Kaeden is?" The older twin questioned,

 ** _"I do indeed. She is being kept in a fortress, a princess guarded by a possessive Akul."_** The twins frowned, Momin's answer came out like some sort of riddle. A fortress is a fortress, even if compared to a castle and guarded by an Akul? What kind of imagery is that? Akuls are native creatures of Shili, vicious beasts that can level a whole village and kill many… Luke's jaw dropped, he understood Momin's words. If he read rebel intelligence correctly some time ago, Darth Véurr has a fortress on… he knows where Kaeden is.

"Kaeden is on Mustafar!" The Sith Lord nodded,

 ** _"She is imprisoned by the Akul that took her."_** ,

"Darth Véurr." Leia whispered, "That's impossible! She can't be alive still, I killed her! My blade went right through her heart!",

 ** _"Véurr is a powerful Sith Lady, even more powerful than her Master. She found a way to preserve her soul and is embodied in a cloned vessel."_** He explained,

"She's been alive for the past three years!?" Leia's fist clenched, her anger spiking. She knew the Sith Lady can be stubborn, but so stubborn even Death can't hold her down? This is ridiculous! "I'm going to kill her and I'll make sure Véurr stays dead. Permanently.",

 ** _"There might be a problem with that, Knight Organa."_** Momin intervened, calmly. **_"Véurr studied soul transfer and possession, notes stolen from Sidious. You can't kill her, she'll take over another body. You can only defeat her or seal her away and I know how."_** ,

"If you tell us, Momin, what's the catch?" Gritted Leia. Sith Lords who offer help always have a catch, a return, they expect something from the person they give help and knowledge to. She doesn't trust Momin at all.

 ** _"No catch, I give you my word. Her fortress sits over the Lotus of the Dark Side. It hides a gateway to a section of Sith Hell. She must be sealed away, a Sith Lady like her is too dangerous to be left running around. I watched her, she is more dangerous than my Master or Darth Zannah."_** ,

"How do you know about her fortress?" Luke asked him,

 ** _"Because I helped her build it all those years. Twenty-five years ago, 18 BBY."_** Answered the Sith Lord. _**"Time is running short, travel to Mustafar and find the Lotus. Only I, as a Dark Sider can open the gate. Farewell Skywalker, I will meet you there."**_ And Momin's spirit vanished. Luke knows when this is all over, he needs a long retreat, for Leia, it's cracking open a bottle of Corellian Whiskey if Han has any left.

_ Next Day…  
_

_ Early Hours…  
_

_ Days Since Kaeden's Disappearance: 8 _

( _Scene: Hyperspace Route to Mustafar, Cockpit, Millennium Falcon, Galaxy-38_ )

 _The Falcon_ was set to autopilot as the fastest ship in the galaxy, flying at twelve parasecs flew through the hyperspace lane en route to the fiery planet of Mustafar. Slip was sitting down next to Luke and Leia, checking his blaster pistols and ensuring he has extra clips. It can only fire fifty rounds, since he carries a second, that's one hundred in total and the pistols served him well during the war and the Galactic Civil War. Luke was in some sort of state of meditation, while Leia's leg was just being twitchy, she's nervous, it is understandable. Han on the other hand just grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a swig, after being updated on the current situation. Seemingly, he's not taking it too well, because to be fair, after finding out an enemy you thought you killed is still alive, who wouldn't want a drink? Slip took a swig himself even.

"So let me get my head around this. Leia killed Darth Véurr three years ago, but through some whacky Sith stuff, she got away from Death!?" Chewbacca roared, in favour of what his smuggler friend was trying to get his head around. Luke then came out of his meditation to join the conversation.

"We are also getting help." Han gave Luke a look that said to him ' _carry on_ '. "From a dead Sith Lord named Momin. He constructed Véurr's fortress.",

"Oh what in the Corellian Hell!?" Exclaimed the smuggler, "Please tell me we can permanently kill Véurr?",

"Momin explained to us she can't be killed. Her soul will just look for another vessel to possess." Han's face fell. They're storming a fortress, owned by the Sith Lady who is meant to be dead, to rescue Kaeden and now this Sith Lady is technically an immortal!? "The only thing we can do is seal her away and Momin is aiding us in that part. Only a Dark Sider can open the gate to Hell.",

"I wouldn't have gotten wrapped up in this if Chewie and I didn't land on Mandalore, then Slippy here yelling in my face." Slip glared at Han, he hated that nickname. It wasn't long when the ship came out of hyperspace, the fiery planet coming into view of the main window. They need to find somewhere to land once they enter the atmosphere, hopefully Véurr won't detect them. The Skywalker twins were already focusing on shielding their Force Signature, Slip put on his old Phase Two helmet, the Jaig Eyes were repainted. The ship entered the atmosphere, the planet where the twin's sister truly died, at the defeat by their father, where he left her to burn. The Battle of the Heroes, two war heroes, turned against each other, fighting one another to the death. According to Momin's information, the fortress was built to channel the Dark Side energy to open the gate to Hell, judging by the structure the shadowed over them, the Lotus is going to be on the lower levels. To Leia, it almost seems like a sick and twisted fairytale: a captured princess guarded by an Akul, not a Krayt Dragon, except the Akul is evil and there isn't exactly a knight in shining armour to rescue her. Han landed the ship on a large flat surface, slightly overlooking the fortress, its great height looming over them. Han readied his blaster, while Chewbacca got his Crossbow Blaster set up, R7 rolled in behind them, really not liking being back here. The rescue team of five plus the droid began making their way down the cliff and see if they can sneak into the fortress undetected and find Kaeden.

_ Ninety Minutes Later… _

( _Scene: Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

So far, so good as one would say. The rescue team managed to get into the fortress just fine, Han seemed pretty smug about it, as much as Slip wants to punch his face in. This sort of quietness always leads to something bad, like a trap or an ambush waiting to be sprung. The twins had their lightsabers unclipped, waiting to be activated, Slip was watching all angles, same with Chewie, the tallest of them all. The fortress seemed pretty empty, which is not surprising considering its large size, you would be quite lonely living in this and on a hot, desolate planet. The group found themselves in the main hall, a grand staircase going in two different directions with a balcony peering over. All they need to do is figure out where Kaeden is being held. As they were about to approach the stairs, a voice spoke out, not one that came from a mechanical suit, but a natural one.

"I welcome you to my home. Unfortunately, I did not send out an invitation." They looked up, jaws going slack, the twins reacting even worse. Above them, stood Darth Véurr, wearing black armour pieces protecting her shoulders, chest, forearms, waist and lower legs, it was finished off with a long black cloak clipped to the shoulder armour. What was making them more sick is the fact Darth Véurr is no longer restricted to her armour, she is a whole, complete being and bearing their older sister's face. If going by a genetic test, it would match Ahsoka's DNA, this is a one-hundred percent cloned body. For the first time, they actually see her eyes, boring angry, enraged red-rimmed yellow-gold glare into their own souls. Leia could swear they were glowing slightly, oh and she wanted to throw up.

"Well, you know what we're like." Han smiled, "Always crashing a party." The other four tried to resist a groan. Han is infamous for making a joke in the situation they are in. Now Slip really wanted to punch Han, while Leia most likely wants to kick him in the ass, or even toss him into a lava river at this point. Even Véurr didn't find it funny, the Sith Lady never had a sense of humour, if she did, it would on the psychotic and sadistic scale.

"Too bad this party involves killing you all!" Véurr raised her hand, snapping her fingers. Before anyone could blink, they were surrounded by a group of ten droids, appearing dark grey-brown in colour, bright white lens where their eyes are and armed with various weapons between blasters and vibro swords. Slip was taken aback, his hands almost shaking, as memories of encounters with these droids came back. Lightsaber blades sprang out, while Han and Chewie raised their weapons. "I see you remember these droids, Captain. The horrors of The Clone Wars. I rebuilt some Commando Droids, improved their software and AI. They'll be a little tougher to kill." She then turned to the droids that were under her command. "Kill them." Chaos erupted, blaster bolts were fired, lightsabers swinging, R7 went to find cover. Slip managed to get a lucky hit on one of the Commando Droids, it crumbled to to the floor, Chewbacca was going for a more up close and personal combat style being the powerhouse of the group. Han was being Han, letting luck be on his side while the Skywalker twins were dancing around the droids, taking them down easily with their lightsabers. Leia saw an opening and used that chance to Force jump towards Véurr, she intends to face her alone, which all things considered is probably the worst and craziest idea; but since when are Jedi ever sane? Luke urged the rest of the group to keep fighting the Commando Droids that are now reduced to five in numbers. While the fighting carried on, Leia faced the Sith Lady, clearly disdain written on her face and this fight is going to be much harder than it was three years ago.

"You honestly don't know what it is to stay dead, do you?" Leia spat, swinging her sabre around. Her words just made Véurr chuckle, it was cold, icy and almost musical. The former princess of Alderaan really hated the fact this Sith is using the body of what her sister would look like if she were want? In her thirties? She only knows Darth Véurr in that horrible obsidian cybernetic armour, but this… this is a Sith in the body who is supposed to be her sister! Lady Véurr unclipped her black cloak from her shoulder armour as she made her reply.

"Death is but an obstacle to overcome. Of course, I would not let it stop me." She then took out her single lightsaber, it seems Véurr has completely forsaken the art of Jar'Kai, a skill Ahsoka was heavily adept in.

"Where is Kaeden?" The Grey Jedi growled, "I swear to the Force if you hurt-" She was cut off, as the Sith's eyes widened, almost in a crazed manner before being glared at and canine teeth being bared. The weapon activated, revealing the classic blood-red blade, it seems like in the three years, Véurr found time to bleed a Kyber Crystal and make a new sabre.

"You will not take her from me!",

"Your anger and lust for power have already done that. Twenty-six years ago, Véurr." Leia countered, "Kaeden loved Ahsoka, my sister. Not you! You're a monster! You killed my sister!",

"Ahsoka Tano was weak. The galaxy is better off without her." Before Leia could count to five, Véurr leapt forward, her blade clashing with Leia's. She barely brought her defence up in time. "When you and your friends are gone, I will rebuild the Clone Army and conquer the galaxy! I shall bring back the Empire and rule it in my vision!" The younger twin was struggling to hold of Véurr, her strength in the sabre lock is too great. Bring back the Empire? Recreating the Clone Army!? This Sith Lady truly is insane. No wonder Momin told herself and Luke Darth Véurr is too dangerous to be left running around unchecked. Her hunger for power is something else, her rule would be just as cruel as Emperor Palpatine's or if not worse. Somehow finding strength, Leia pushed Véurr away with a gentle Force Push, making her stumble, then she heard Momin's voice.

 ** _"Lure her to the Lotus. It is right below you, I will be there to spring the trap."_** Knowing what to do, Leia called out to her friends, who managed to dispatch the last of the Commando Droids.

"Guys! Find Kaeden! I got Véurr." Opening herself slightly to the Dark Side, enough to feel the presence of the Lotus, she ran in the general direction, with Darth Véurr behind her.

"LEIA!" Han screamed,

"I'll go after them. Locate Kaeden." Luke also Force jumped to the staircase and ran in the direction of his sister and Lady Véurr. Han, Chewbacca, Slip and R7 went the other direction.

_Twenty Minutes Later…_

After finding a map, more like schematics of the fortress after hacking into a console thanks to R7, the group managed to pinpoint Kaeden's location on the fourth floor. So that's where Véurr kept her, it doesn't seem like she is holding Kaeden prisoner, more like a guest. Unless now, the Sith Lady still holds feelings for the woman, which is pretty messed up all things considered. Finding the room she is in, the astromech had to connect himself to the control panel to unlock the door, seems like Véurr is pretty possessive; not like that's disturbing at all. A few seconds passed, R7 got the door open and Slip rushed in, finding a bare naked Kaeden on the bed, unmoving. Holstering his blasters, he passed Han his helmet, carefully approaching the woman in cases she is hurt. He placed a hand on her shoulder, only for her to jump, covering herself with the bed quilt, a look of fear in her eyes. It hurt Slip to see such a look. What has Véurr done over the past week she had her? Particularly to have her this scared.

"Kaeden, Kaeden just breathe. I'm here with the others to rescue you." He said to her softly. Slip saw the angry red scratches on her arms, along with bruises, hand-shaped bruises. His stomach was doing knots! Darth Véurr hurt her! She- it clicked and he wanted nothing more than to rush to the refresher nearby and vomit up his food. Darth Véurr raped Kaeden! How fucking dare she! He knew the Sith Lady was psychotic, sadistic, ruthless and vicious, but to rape… she is just deplorable and dehumanising. It's sickening! "Come on, Larte. Let's find some clothes and get you out of here." Han went over to the wardrobe, finding some undergarments and a black dress. Well… it will have to do, she'll find better clothes on his freighter. Kaeden is still pretty traumatised, unresponsive even, so they had to help her put the clothes on.

"I'm going after Luke and Leia." Han said suddenly, tossing Slippy his helmet and running off. Slip just began cursing. Chewie held Kaeden in his arms.

"Take her back to the ship and watch her you walking carpet. I'll be back with everyone. Just watch her." Chewbacca roared softly and the three of them parted ways. Slip following Han, while the Wookiee and the droid headed back to the _Millennium Falcon_.

_ Back With Luke and Leia… _

( _Scene: The Lotus, Underneath Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Locating the Lotus, it wasn't really anything special other than a literal gateway to Sith Hell. The wall was carved top to bottom in some kind of strange sigils, while there was a stone altar in the middle. There, as Momin promised, was standing where the gateway is to be opened. He had a look on his face, despite the mask, that said: ' _Buy me some time_ '. How much time does he need to open the door? Readying herself, Leia stood in her Ataru battle stance as the Sith Lady she thought she killed arrived and she sensed Lord Momin behind her. It made her laugh.

"You and your friends must be desperate if you are accepting help from a Sith Lord." She looked past Leia. "Momin, long time no see. It's been a while since I crushed your body. Whatever it is you are planning, it will not work.",

 _ **"Overconfidence will be your undoing, Lady Véurr."**_ He spared a glance at Leia. _**"Just hold her off."**_ Véurr instantly knew what he was about to do, they plan to open the gateway. She won't let them and jumped in the air at Leia, slamming her sabre down, but her attack missed as the Grey Jedi sidestepped. Véurr has to kill Leia first, then Luke because she will need all her concentration to tear Momin's spirit apart as she did with Ahsoka Tano. The Force Ghost of Momin faced the gateway and began calling on the Dark Side, calling on its energy, feeling the fortress above them beginning to shake. This concentration cannot be broken, otherwise, the door will spontaneously open and act as a vortex for a few minutes, sucking everything in; that might benefit as Véurr is very stubborn. The duel between the Sith and the Grey Jedi carried on, Leia fell back onto her backup form, Form VI: Niman, as Darth Véurr continued to smash her with heavy assaults of Falling Avalanche, a notable move of Djem So and she wasn't even using a reverse Shien grip! Leia felt herself heaving under Véurr's heavy blows, she is much more difficult to fight now that she is no longer trapped in her suit, she can fight to her full potential! This makes her even more dangerous. The fight between them carried on, until Leia made a fatal mistake, leaving her defence open, Darth Véurr managed to slip in, swinging her sabre upwards, taking with it… Leia's right sword arm, up to the elbow. Her weapon deactivated, falling to the stone ground with a clatter. Leia clutched the stump of what was left of her arm, hissing in pain as it is only being processed, Véurr laughed crazily, all sense of sanity seemingly gone, at the pain she inflicted, lifting the Jedi in the air and threw in her into a wall. The impact dazed the young Skywalker twin, she just about saw the Sith Lady pick up her weapon, the sabre that once belonged to her sister Ahsoka and seeing a small pool of lava; to her horror and grief, Véurr threw the weapon into the pool, melting the metal and the crystal. All of the memories stored in the crystal is now destroyed! A part of Leia broke, it was her only connection to the sibling she never knew, other than R7, but the droid will end up going back into some kind of system shutdown probably.

"A disappointing fight." Véurr clipped, standing over Leia, with the blade pointed at her throat. "Time to join your parents and your brother will be not long behind you." She raised the blade as Leia was beginning to lose consciousness. Then…

"LEIA NO!" Luke arrived, along with Slip and Han, all three were horrified at the severe injury inflicted on Leia. She lost her right arm! What is it with Skywalkers losing their limb or limbs in Véurr's case, before this!? Slip began to fire plasma bolts at the Sith, angry, while Luke jumped in as well. Han snuck around to get Leia away from the fight. By the Force! She is missing three-quarters of her arm! He wanted to get sick, fighting back a dry heave too and he could smell the cauterised flesh. He got word from Chewie that Kaeden is now safe and secure on The Falcon, so that's one less thing to worry about. Slip kept his distance, only firing when he had an opening, it also saved him some precious plasma energy too, he only has two clips left for each pistol. Watching Luke and Véurr fight, it was Djem So versus Djem So, but the boy is facing a fully-fledged Sith of twenty-six years, he'll have his work cut out for him. He prays to the Little Gods his left hand won't be severed. A repeat Bespin is all they need.

With Momin, he was close to fully opening the door, but making dangerous tweaks, when it opens, it will act as a vortex, sucking everything in like a black hole. Momin is only doing this because Véurr is too dangerous, in the background a group known as The First Order are gathering their forces. This group is being led by a being called Snoke and should he sense Darth Véurr, her powers would be employed and Force only knows what she will do. It's no wonder Darth Sidious tried to keep her on a leash, but she was too powerful for him. If she were to become a Goddess, an immortal like Volkorion, she will be invincible, the most powerful Sith in Dark Side history. The fortress rocked even more as the Dark Side energy built up even more. He can sense the gateway now, it is almost time. Véurr had enough of the Captain's interference, being taller than Luke, she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, aided by the Force. He was taken off his feet and thrown to the ground, then turned to Slip, crushing his pistols with the power of the Force. Han was almost to the exit of the cave, only to be thrown back by a Force Pull. He held Leia close to his chest and took most of the impact as he hit the ground, shoulder first.

"Petulant children!" She snarled, her eyes glowing fiercely. Once she gets rid of them, finds Kaeden, oh she is going to break that girl into complete submission. Suddenly, she felt a powerful spike in Dark Side energy, turning around and realising too late that Momin had opened the gateway to Sith Hell. They intend to seal her away because they can't kill her without freeing her soul! Instead, they are sealing her physical body with her soul, for eternity. The door opened, but Momin did something, it's acting like a vortex! Momin vanished after he played his part, everyone clung to something solid, not wanting to be trapped in Hell with the Sith Lady. However, Darth Véurr was determined to drag someone with her, she is not going in alone! Han held onto a stalagmite while clinging hard to Leia without hurting her even further. Luke was holding onto the stone-carved wall, a piece jutting out, while Slip was slightly closer, latching onto the altar. As expected, Véurr was stubborn, her lightsaber dug deep into the ground, leaving a scorch mark as she slid back. Slip gritted his teeth, they don't know how long the door will remain open and if it closes, they are screwed! Then… a peaceful smile came to Slip's face and Luke saw it.

"Slip?" He mouthed. Han couldn't afford to look back, he was too focused on making sure Leia doesn't get pulled in and him either.

"Remember me for I am eternal." He told them. His face shifted to determination, he reached for his left vambrace, pushing a button. A hilt stuck out, a vibro blade and he released his grip on the altar, being pulled back he managed to grab onto Darth Véurr, wrapping his arm around her neck. She tried to shake him off, but it was no good. Slip raised the blade and for the first time, he saw fear flash her eyes and it was great, it was satisfying. Knowing he couldn't kill the Sith Lady, he stabbed the blade into her shoulder, causing her to scream in pain. This is Darth Véirr he is stabbing, not General Tano, his General died long ago. She lost her grip on the sabre hilt, it deactivated, getting sucked in and so did she, along with Captain Slip. Luke reached out, as tears welled up in his eyes.

"SLIP!" He cried as the Clone Trooper and the Sith Lady were sucked in. The gateway closed, sealing away not just Véurr, but… Slip as well. He's gone. They came as a team of five to rescue Kaeden, now there's only four going home.

It's over. It's over now.

_ Three Days Later…  
_

_ Night… _

( _Scene: Memorial Garden, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

A funeral was held in Captain Slip's name. Many attended to remember the brave and fearless Clone Captain of the famous 332nd Battalion. He is with his brothers now, details of his death were kept a secret, there was no body to bury, the public was told he died of a sudden heart attack on Mandalore due to his accelerated ageing. By Mandalorian custom, he was cremated, Clone or not, he is of Mandalorian blood. Hundreds of thousands flocked to pay their respects, Slip is a decorated soldier, easily identifiable by the burnt orange Jaig Eyes painted on his helmet. He served in The Clone Wars for three years and then aided the Rebel Alliance, Leia gave a short, but beautiful eulogy for Slip. Her arm was already replaced with a state of the art prosthetic, covered in synthetic skin and Luke promised he would help her get used to it. In Slip's honour and all the Clone Troopers he has now joined, she sang what is known as The Clone Trooper's Hymn. She found it going through R7's recordings, their sister sung with the men, she was really close to her battalion. Hours seem to have gone by, as soon as the crowd dispersed, it was already late and the moon was shining. The moonlight was dancing against the marble memorial, Slip's name has now been added. Darth Véurr is gone, she is sealed away, never to return, to harm Kaeden and not hurt another living soul. When she regained consciousness, Leia couldn't believe Slip sacrificed himself, she could have saved him if she didn't stupidly lose her arm. A part of Leia feels at fault for losing Slip. Luke already left the memorial to return to the apartment, Kaeden understandably didn't want to go, she is still recovering from the trauma she was put through by Véurr. Honestly, Leia wanted to do nothing but rip the Sith Lady apart, she really is a sick-minded, despicable person, no; she's not a person, she is a monster. How dare she rape Kaeden! It's even more traumatising for her because the Sith Lady raped her in Ahsoka's body, doesn't matter if it was cloned. Speaking of which, Leia better check on her. She was about to leave until she saw a hooded figure standing before the memorial. The unidentifiable person was staring at the memorial, his hand running over a name, first over Slip's, then another. It said:

_"CT-24-3103  
_

_Field Medical Officer Stab  
_

_32 BBY - 20 BBY  
_

_Age 12 (24 Years)"_

"Who are you?" Leia called out, making the figure turn. It annoyed Leia she couldn't see his face.

"No one." Was her answer and for some strange reason, it sounded like Slip. Is she imagining things? Before she could ask, the strange person walked away in the other direction, leaving Leia alone. Underneath the hood, as Leia's figure became smaller and smaller, a single tear fell down his cheek. He was too late. He's the last of The 33nd, of Akul Squadron. Former Field Medical Officer Stab left the garden, to see where the stars take him.

_ With Kaeden… _

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden sat at the foot of the bed, fiddling with a pistol she kept in her apartment as an emergency, it was her sister's DL-44 Commando Pistol.

"I have nothing left." She muttered in a dead tone, placing the barrel against her forehead and closed her eyes. Kaeden's finger hovered the trigger, all she needed to do was pull. Her finger rested on the trigger and then…

**_"KAEDEN PLEASE STOP!"_ **

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Ner: My/Mine

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular Person

Cyar'ika: Darling/Sweetheart

Vod: Brother/Sister/Comrade

Jetiise: Jedi (Plural)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended that on a darker note than expected. Who is stopping Kaeden? 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the brief appearance of Delta Squad and that Darth Momin was a surprise. Yeah, Véurr is pretty much immortal, which is why they had to seal her away than just kill her.
> 
> Sorry about Leia, severing her arm. Whoops. As for Slip… it was pretty hard to write him off, I had different ways to kill him, but his current death felt more meaningful. Sorry to those who have warmed up to my Clone OCs for The 332nd.
> 
> Just… don't feel sorry for Darth Véurr, she got what she deserved. She wanted galaxy-wide domination and enforce her rule through the reborn Clone Army. She is not like Véurr in Galaxy-1.
> 
> I kind of feel it looks a bit rushed, but you guys can be the judge of that.
> 
> Not much to say, other thank for taking your time reading these one-shots/story arcs and leaving kudos or comments. I like seeing critical opinion and it gives me confidence.
> 
> Stay tuned for Part IV.


	7. The Past Always Haunts You Part IV (7 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone close to Kaeden appears to stop her from making the wrong decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! The ending of the four-part arc. As I said, it's a little shorter than normal, a little more focused on dialogue and once again, doesn't come across as rushed.
> 
> Before you look at me silly, yes, in Legends, Dragons existed. Dragons in Star Wars were the type of creatures that could also turn a Jedi to the Dark Side. I'm not making this up, this topic was even run through by Star Wars Theory.
> 
> Enjoy?

_"Sometimes... the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them."_

\- Doctor Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Wantanbe); _Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)_

* * *

Chapter 7: The Past Always Haunts You - March Ever Onward to Your Future

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profile:

Kaeden Larte-Tano:

Age: 46 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic, Retired Rebel

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Miara Larte (Force Ghost/Deceased in 3 ABY):

Age: 39 Years

Born: 36 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Rebel & Supplies Pilot

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker:

Age: 26 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

* * *

_ Year: 7 ABY…_

_ Night… _

_ Time: 2315 (23:15 Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Post-Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

 ** _"KAEDEN PLEASE STOP!"_** A ghostly voice screeched out. It snapped Kaeden out of her current action, dropping the DL-44a out of shock. What was that? Who is stopping her? Why? She has nothing left, her shop is gone, her sister is gone, her planet, almost everyone she cared about… and her wife. Looking up, still slightly shaking, well knowing that she was about to kill herself, Kaeden's jaw dropped when she was the presence in front of her. It couldn't be… that's impossible! Kaeden thought only Jedi and even Sith can take on that form! Tears fell down her face, seeing the person she loved and cared about, the person she hasn't seen in four years.

"Miara?" The mechanic choked, somewhat finding her voice. She stared at her sister, she wore the same clothes since 3 ABY, during The Battle of Hoth, her hair tied back in a ponytail. Since Miara is a Force Ghost, her body has taken on a spectral light-blue hue and she looked… happy? "Is that really you?",

 ** _"Who else would it be?"_** Miara answered. Her gaze turned to the pistol that she once wielded, that very pistol her sister was about to use to end her life. Miara knew her sister was married, she knew since 0 BBY/ABY. While on Yavin, Kaeden told her to grab something for her, she went off to her assigned room and of course, with her sibling being a mechanic, her room was a bit of a heap. Miara dug through drawers, the shelves, more drawers and that was when she stumbled upon a ring, a strange-looking ring. It was made of bone, there was an intricate pattern carved into it and a year on the inside: 22 BBY. It so happened the young sibling had a scanning device on her, so she scanned the ring to determine what kind of bone it was and it came back as an Akul bone. Akul's are only found on Shili, dangerous and vicious creatures, it quickly occurred to Miara the nature of the ring, it was a wedding ring. Her sister was married and Kaeden didn't have the audacity to tell her! She thought sisters never kept secrets from one another and Kaeden kept her marriage a secret for twenty-two years! Miara deduced that her older sister is married to a Togruta if the ring was made out of the bone of an Akul, the question is: if Kaeden was on Yavin, where is her wife? Was her wife in hiding? Working with the rebellion as a Fulcrum Agent? Did they ever reunite? The younger Larte sibling never got to confront her sister about her secret, until now. Miara walked over, taking her place beside Kaeden and to the mechanic's surprise, her sister sat on the bed's edge as if she were solid, not a spectral ghost; this defies all logic! How is that possible? The Force Ghost put a hand gently on Kaeden's leg and she felt it. The Force works in mysterious ways. **_"Please don't go down this path, Kaeden. If you do, you have let Véurr win."_** ,

"Well, she has!" Snapped Kaeden, "She did succeed. Véurr raped me and broke me! A part of me wishes I never met Ahsoka." And it's true, in the furthest recess of her mind, Kaeden continuously mulls over the what if she never ran into Ahsoka on Coruscant. Running into each other set off a chain of events neither could control, if the so-called Force destined them to meet, then why punish them with this? Her wife falling to the Dark Side, transforming into the cyborg everyone feared, becoming a mass murderer and child killer, enslaving herself to the Dark Side of the Force. Was Ahsoka's birth a curse? An omen of doom? Why give both of them a sense of joy and happiness, thoughts of a happy future if it is all going to be ripped away? Why did the Force suddenly decide to punish both her and Ahsoka? These are only questions the Force itself could answer, if it had a physical form, like some kind of God or deity. In the end, though, Ahsoka showed her selfish nature, she didn't care about anything else once Kaeden was by her side. For all she cared, the galaxy could be on fire, Ahsoka would not bat an eyelid, because Kaeden is with her and she was the reason Ahsoka carried out her atrocious acts. She was doing it to protect Kaeden, protect her from what? The Jedi? Her own family? The galaxy? If Ahsoka had her way, Kaeden would probably be locked away in her fortress, like a princess trapped in the tower, guarded by a Krayt Dragon, even a Dragon, supposedly they did exist long ago, or in this case an Akul.

 ** _"I know a part of you don't mean those words. Ahsoka meant everything to you, she was your wife after all."_** Said Miara, which made Kaeden's head snap up, taken off guard. **_"I found your wedding ring when you arrived on Yavin. You were married to her for twenty-two years and you didn't care to tell me."_** Her tone may have come across a little harsh, even accusing, but Kaeden couldn't blame her sister. She does have a point, though she is wrong about being married for twenty-two years, it was only three years and while those three years were short, Kaeden admits she enjoyed those years until everything went wrong. The rebel mechanic couldn't tell Miara, even through a transmission that she was married to a Jedi, if the wrong person overhears, it will spread through the holo-news and then… Ahsoka would be kicked out of the Order, Katooni either sent to the AgriCorps on the planet Bandomeer or reassigned a different Master along with… The 332nd losing their best General that they all got close to, they be split apart and the legion decommissioned. It would have been a giant mess. Kaeden really wanted to tell Miara, but she had to respect Ahsoka's wishes if they wanted to remain together, the Togruta didn't know her sister well enough to trust her, not in the same way that she trusted her parents, because herself, 'Soka, Anakin and Padmé were all stuck in the same trap: hiding secrets from those they care about.

"Miara," Kaeden said softly, "You have no idea how much I really wanted to tell you. I couldn't because I was married to a Jedi! You somewhat know the attitude Jedi had on attachment.",

 ** _"I would have kept it a secret too."_** Miara answered hastily, **_"You're my sister, you still should have told me. I would be happy for you, regardless."_** ,

"My wife, Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, she… she wouldn't have trusted you. 'Soka had pretty bad trust issues." Kaeden revealed. Ahsoka wouldn't mind this being revealed, she's dead, not just physically, but spiritually too. Her wife was ripped away from existence because of some insane Force technique Darth Véurr discovered. Kaeden doesn't know what kind of sick-minded Sith Lord or Lady of Old developed such an ability, the power to rip one's soul apart. Even if her wife was buried deep beneath the Darkness that she allowed to consume her, she was still there, inside Véurr chained up or in a deep slumber. It must be a traumatising feeling to be trapped within your own mind, your own conscience, with nothing to do but watch your Dark Side identity use your body. "Ahsoka had a bad upbringing, her tribe didn't like Force-sensitives. When they discovered that, she was made an outcast at four years old. Her biological parents did nothing." Miara stayed quiet, choosing to listen to her older sister, learning about her wife. "She survived Shili's cruel wilderness for four years, heck, she killed her first Akul as a six-year-old. Then some pirate gang captured her, 'Soka killed four before they succeeded. That's when life got even worse for her. If my father-in-law didn't save her… she would have been lost forever, to the slave fighting market. The buyer was willing to pay out fifty-thousand credits for her.",

 ** _"I see why your wife had such bad trust issues and most likely abandonment problems."_** There was a momentary silence between them, a few moments of mulling before Miara spoke again. **_"Your wife became Darth Véurr. She was the one who killed me. That explains why you were talking to the Sith Lady as if you were trying to get through to the person she used to be long ago. Darth Véurr was Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano."_** All Kaeden did was nod, as tears began to slide down her cheeks again. No one in the Rebel Alliance, other than Luke, Leia, Slip (CT-4056) - who is now gone, either dead or trapped with Véurr in Sith Hell - Anakin and Padmé before they died, they will never the burden she and those closest to her had to bear. Senator Mothma, Organa and many supporting politicians don't know who Véurr truly was. The moment that mask was put on her wife, that was the moment she was lost, but Ahsoka truly died on Mustafar, in turn, Darth Véurr rose from a land of fire and ash. Her burning hatred for Anakin and Padmé, those who wronged her gave her the fuel to carry on living, even after being horribly burned alive. Since Véurr destroyed Ahsoka's soul, it looks as if… in an ironic way, Ahsoka's body was just a mere vessel for the Dark Lady of the Sith. **_"My time is almost up, the Cosmic Force calls me back. Please Kaeden, keep on living, not just for me, but for your friends. Even though Ahsoka, your wife, who I never got to meet, is gone;"_** Miara placed her ghostly hand on Kaeden's heart, " ** _She is alive in there. Remember, no one is truly gone."_** For the first time in three years, ever since the last contact they had on Yavin seven years ago, Miara wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her and holding her tightly. The hug seemed to have last forever, but by the time Kaeden opened her eyes, Miara was gone, she looked as if she was holding air.

Hearing the door open, the only people Kaeden has given a spare key to her apartment is Luke, Leia and… Slip. Footsteps approached her room, when the figure made itself known, it was Leia. Glancing down, she saw the DL-44a on the floor and a teary-eyed Kaeden Larte-Tano. Leia quickly figured what she was going to do, but Kaeden realised what her sister did, yes she stopped her from committing suicide, but stalled long enough until Leia got here, to her apartment. The widow didn't even realise her body was beginning to shake, Leia rushed over, holding Kaeden in her arms as the older woman let out her emotions. The Grey Jedi Knight said nothing, only staying quiet or whispering the odd word of comfort and thanking whatever presence was in with her, long enough till she arrived. Had she arrived at a later time, Leia would be walking upon the dead body of Kaeden Larte-Tano instead. Leia knew Kaeden needed help, she went through so much trauma, bottled it up, maybe having the rare breakdown, but now she is only allowing herself to fully release her emotions. All the way back at the burning of Ahsoka's body, both she and Luke, even Slip and Katooni knew Kaeden hadn't fully let go and Leia is now adamant to help Kaeden.

"I'm so sorry." Kaeden choked,

"You have nothing to be sorry for, ori'vod." The two sat in the bedroom in silence and Kaeden still replaying her little sister's words in her head.

 _"No one is truly gone."_ And she's right because the Ahsoka she loved still lived in her heart and memories, but all she can do now is move on to the future.

It is time to face the demons of her past and lay them to rest.

It is time to march on ever onwards to the future.

Her future.

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Ori'vod: Older Brother/Sister/Special friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end. Arc is over and I have another few one-shots planned, before I release another arc which I teased on my Tumblr page, you might need to scroll down a bit for it.
> 
> Yeah, Miara did learn that her sister was married, another off-page thing. She would have found the ring about a week or two after learning Kaeden was actually alive and in hiding after waking up from her coma.
> 
> Yes, I quoted The Last Jedi, as much as it didn't really appeal to me well.
> 
> Not much else to say other than thank you for taking the time to read these. I also promise to get back to Never Forgotten, I've hit a writing stump with it and I still have the same stump. Just bear with me.
> 
> Until then!


	8. The Voice in my Head (22-19 BBY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four times Ahsoka listens to The Voice in her head and the few times she carries out its words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bouncing all the way back to The Clone Wars and the infamous AU of Revenge of the Sith.
> 
> Short little one-shot about our favourite not-so mentally stable Togruta. Not much say because even the quote used sums up the whole thing.
> 
> Happy reading!

_"I only hear my own voice._

_When you start hearing other voices, then it's time to worry."_

\- Matt Dillon

* * *

Chapter 8: The Voice in my Head

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Ahsoka Tano:

Age: 17 (22 BBY)/18 (21 BBY)/19 (20 BBY)/20 (19 BBY) Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Mentor, General of The 332nd Battalion, Leader of Akul Squadron

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte

****

Made Windu:

Age: 53 Years

Born: 72 BBY

Planet of Origin: Haruun Kal, Mid Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Master, Council Member, General of The 187th Corps

****

Darth Sidious (Formerly Sheev Palpatine):

Age: 65 Years

Born: 84 BBY

Planet of Origin: Naboo, Mid Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Politician, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Sith Lord

* * *

I:

_ Year: 22 BBY… _

_ Morning… _

_ Time: 0715 (07:15 Coruscanti Time) _

Canon: _Post-Wrath of the Togruta_

( _Scene: Halls, Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Ahsoka strolled through the halls of the Jedi Temple. She decided to let her Padawan Learner Katooni, a Tholothian sleep in, the young girl is exhausted after a mission they were deployed to a while back. For Ahsoka, getting up early is becoming clockwork, but other reasons for her waking up early is nightmares, past or war-related. She also made a mental note to see Kaeden, her wife, one of the biggest secrets she kept from the Jedi Order and Katooni. The only people who know of it is Anakin and Padmé, her adopted parents because they are in the same situation she is, only they hid it much longer. Anakin told her when she was ten, that was 29 BBY. They've been married since 31 BBY, the year Anakin, her former Master of nine years was knighted, being a Knight offers some form of freedom; such as no longer needing the permission of one's Master to leave the temple grounds. Looking around, no one was really awake per se, other than the few Temple Guards Ahsoka saw patrol the corridors with their lightsaber staffs. Unless there's an early morning Council meeting, even the Council members are asleep, except Yoda, which the Jedi Knight believes the little green troll spends more time meditating in the Force than sleeping. Anyhow, a morning stroll around the hall never hurt Ahsoka, she did this a few times when she was young, which included giving Anakin a heart attack because he thought he lost her in the temple or just needing to clear her mind. In this case, it was to clear her mind, the past decided to come and torment Ahsoka in her dreams again. The nightmare was focused on shadow figures, inside some kind of wooden structure, the shadows were taunting her, trying to break her down with hurtful words. It turned out the shadow figures were her tribe, they never cared about her, they called her birth a curse and an omen of doom, that she was the child of a demon planted into the womb of her mother. Ahsoka didn't care, if that's what her tribe think of her then let them, they better not come crying to the Republic when the Separatists invade their lands and their weapons do nothing on the technology they have. If such a mission comes up, the Council and the Grand Army of the Republic can send Anakin, Obi-wan, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, anyone and their battalions for that mission; but she decided long ago to refuse anything like this. Her people had forsaken and shunned her, well, the young Jedi Knight decided to return the favour, because of her treatment as a child, she will never help that tribe for her life. Unconsciously, her hand clenching into a fist, so hard her nails were digging into her palm, threatening to break the skin.

 ** _"You're not like the other Jedi."_** Whispered a voice, one Ahsoka recognised. **_"Your anger and hatred is… refreshing. You embrace emotion."_** Before she knew it, Knight Tano found herself by the Youngling's crèche, all sleeping soundly. She somewhat envied the Younglings, so young and innocent to the horrors of the galaxy, spared of the chaos of the war outside, sheltered. They know nothing of the death and despair, they will never know the feeling of watching any of her men dying, hearing a brother cry out for his own. They will never know what it is like to be suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, waking up at night in a sweat, mulling over what you could do different as a General, watching your own Padawan Learner slowly learn and realise war is not a game. It doesn't prove who is right or wrong, it only shows who is left and how many people will be left after this? How many Jedi will come back after this? Ahsoka finds herself caring less for the Jedi, all she cares about is returning to her wife Kaeden, same goes for Anakin with his wife, her adopted mother, Padmé Amidala. They both have people to return to, lovers who worry about their lives, the Jedi have nothing but each other and the Force. **_"Hm, Younglings."_** The voice hummed, **_"So innocent and naïve to the evils of the galaxy, evils that you know well. If the war drags on longer than it is supposed to, you can spare them of your pain."_** This voice in her head sounded dark, the Force was screaming at her to stop listening to it, don't listen to it, but Ahsoka brushed the Force's warning away, to see what else The Voice will tell her. **_"Raise your lightsaber to them."_** Her eyes widened at such a thought, she'd never kill children! Pushing The Voice down, Ahsoka briskly walked away from the crèche, leaving the children in peace.

* * *

II:

_ Year: 21 BBY… _

_ Afternoon… _

_ Time: 1300 (13:00 Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Brain Invaders; Star Wars - The Clone Wars_

( _Scene: Prison Block, Lower Area, The Hunter, Hyperspace Lane to Coruscant, En Route to Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Jedi General Ahsoka Tano was pissed, which would be an understatement. She finally got a transmission from her Padawan, that gave her a sense of relief when they commed in, last time, it wasn't on schedule and that made her jumpy. Katooni is onboard a medical ship with Padawan Petro, Knight Barriss Offee's apprentice, en route to meet Master Kit Fisto. Barriss is another friend of hers, but they aren't… close, Ahsoka doesn't have the same closeness as she does with Anakin, Obi-wan, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Padmé and her own Padawan. After hearing their ship is under quarantine, stuck with a bunch of soldiers infected with Geonosian Brain Worms and no way to get rid of them, Ahsoka has marched down to Archduke Poggle or Poggle the Lesser, to his cell. This is behind the other Jedi's back, Anakin, Master Ki-Adi Mundi and Barriss are on her ship, Obi-wan has stayed behind with his troops to handle the cleanup. So far, Poggle has refused to answer their questions, refused to cooperate, oh she is going to make him cooperate and talk. It wasn't long for Poggle's cell to come into view, guarded by two Clones, are they infected as well? So many what-ifs ran through her head, she knew she should have gone with Katooni, instead, she's stuck escorting this disgusting insect back to Coruscant to face the Senate Court. Ahsoka swears if anything happens to her Padawan, this is her ship, _The Hunter_ belongs to her, she will turn the ship around and wipe out Poggle's species altogether.

 ** _"Not the mind of a Jedi, if one is thinking of genocide."_** The Voice again. Ignoring it, Tano straightened herself, hands behind her back, showing that she is the General, she is in charge. Ahsoka stopped outside the cell.

"Open it and leave." Her tone came across authoritative, icy, perhaps even dark. Knowing she was not in the mood to be questioned or angered, the soldiers obeyed her orders, deactivating the ray shield and walked away, leaving her, Poggle and a translator droid alone. Walking in, Ahsoka waved her hand, calling on the Force. "You will answer my questions." Her response was a series of clicks, leaving the droid to do its job.

"Mind Tricks don't work on me, Jedi. I will not answer your questions." Ahsoka glared at Poggle, her eyes suddenly become as icy as a glacier and turned her back to the Archduke.

 ** _"If he won't cooperate, then threaten his life. Choke him."_** Said The Voice and she actually listened, when in actual fact, Ahsoka had no clue what or who she was listening to.

"Immune to Mind Tricks?" Without warning, she twirled around, backhanding Poggle in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. Tossing the table aside, Ahsoka raised her hand, in the shape of a claw, calling on her anger and the Force. Poggle felt his throat constrict, he scratched at it, only finding air, he knew the Jedi was choking him with the Force and found himself lifted off the floor. Ahsoka's face twisted into a predatory snarl, she felt Poggle's fear and it was satisfyingly filling. "I don't need Mind Tricks. Now, if you value your pathetic, Seppie, insect life, you'll tell me how to stop the worms!" More choked clicks.

"I will never talk, Jedi scum." Ahsoka's patience was wearing thin. How long does Katooni have before she ends up infected!? Then what? Ahsoka can't kill her own Padawan.

 ** _"Threaten to break his neck."_** The Voice told her and once again, she listened. She ignored the Light Side of the Force, welcoming a small amount of the Dark Side to rush through her veins, the same feeling when she slaughtered those pirates. Glancing, Poggle saw his interrogator's eyes beginning to switch between blue and yellow-gold, an interesting development. This is an interesting Jedi. Then he felt his throat become even tighter, his neck starting to compress, any more it will break! Surely this Jedi would not do such a thing! That's not the Jedi way!

"Tell me how to stop the worms, or I will break. Your. Neck!" General Tano growled, sharp canine teeth bared at the Geonosian. "All I have to do is simply twist my hand and your life is forfeit!" Once again, more clicks.

"This is unbecoming of a Jedi, to kill an unarmed prisoner." The droid translated,

"I'm not like the other Jedi. I will do what needs to be done." Tano was well right into Poggle's personal space, as she held him in a Force Choke. "I will ask one last time, as I am very close to killing you right here, right now! How do you stop. The. Worms!?" Now Poggle panicked, this Jedi is serious that she will kill him and not bat an eyelid on her morals. He let out desperate, choked clicks.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you, Master Jedi! Don't kill me!" He was begging and it was pathetic. Feeling that he will speak, Ahsoka released her hold on him and dropped Poggle to the floor, however, if she senses a single lie out of him, she will break his neck, death by lightsaber is too quick for this insect scumbag. Ahsoka crossed her arms, still glaring at him, but indicating him to speak. There was a long series of clicks and groans when he finished, the droid translated. "The cold. The worms have no immunity to the cold, if the temperature of the ship is changed, the freezing environment will kill the brain worms.",

"And the lives of the men?" Ahsoka added. Clicks.

"They will be spared. You have your answer. Leave, Jedi." Ahsoka just scoffed but satisfied she has the answer to stopping the worms and saving Katooni and the men, along with Petro. Reactivating the shield, she left Poggle alone in his cell and ran through the halls, needing to relay this information back to her Padawan.

 ** _"You see now, child? Did you feel the power coursing through your veins? Did you like it? This is what the Dark Side can offer you. How long can you resist its call?"_** The Voice's tone was tempting and sultry, but like the past few occasions, Ahsoka pushed it away, she only needed what she needed to use. Why go any deeper than that?

* * *

III:

_ Year: 20 BBY… _

_ Evening… _

_ Time: 2040 (20:40 Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _The Wrong Jedi Arc; Star Wars - The Clone Wars_

( _Scene: Temple Steps, Jedi Temple, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

The sunset over the temple steps, Ahsoka sat on the first looking out over the city of Coruscant. The angle of the setting sun left a shadow behind Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano. She has been sitting on this step for the past three hours, waiting for Katooni to come back, her Padawan might realise she is making a mistake and will return to take back her Silka Beads or accept knighthood. Ahsoka kept repeating in her head that the snarky Tholothian she has grown attached to will come back, to stay by her side, stay with The 332nd. The men will be just as lost without their Commander, she's vod to them and to the Shinies, an ori'vod to look up to. Katooni, in the Jedi Knight's point of view, has been more than a Padawan Learner, she was her best friend, a sister and even a daughter. The Jedi had driven her away, the Council drove her away because they didn't believe her innocence! Heck, Obi-wan looked as if he sided with the Council, so did Plo Koon and Shaak. It was Master Mundi who listed the punishment after they agreed to bar her from the Order. The only other people who believed her were Kaeden, Anakin and Padmé, in fact, it was her adopted mother who stepped in as a legal representative for Katooni and spoke on her behalf. This was while she went off into The Underworld, the lower levels to hunt down Ventress to get answers from her. She really should have snapped Petro's head, or even severed it and since he betrayed Katooni, he was her friend! Ahsoka decided to keep as far away as she physically can from Barriss, she trained Petro, she should have seen this coming! Barriss, if her head wasn't so far stuck up in the Code's shebs, she could have given Petro the support he needed, but she didn't because she was bearing in the mind the Force damned rule of attachment! Because of the Council, because of Petro, Katooni has left the Order, left her. She made a promise and she broke it.

 _"You left me. You abandoned me."_ Ahsoka repeated in her head,

 ** _"That she did, young child."_** The Voice has reared its head again. Always appearing when she's at her most emotional and this is no different. **_"She has left you. She has abandoned you."_** ,

 _"She'll come back. Katooni will realise she made a mistake."_ The Togruta replied hastily, maybe sounding a little desperate. She needs Katooni, that girl was her emotional crutch, other than Kaeden, an anchor to cling to. _"Just… give her another moment. She'll come running up back those steps."_ ,

 ** _"Child, three now four hours have come and go. She would have been back before then."_** Soothed The Voice, **_"Accept it, she has abandoned you. They all will, everyone who you thought cared about you, will leave you behind. I won't, I will never leave you."_** ,

 _"You've been inside my head since I killed the pirates. That's two years now. What are you?"_ Ahsoka mentally asked. The Voice chuckled.

 ** _"Not what, but whom?"_** It purred, **_"To answer your question, I am you. A manifestation of your hidden emotions, your hidden thoughts. I am a being of your closely kept secrets, those you kept from Kaeden and your parents."_** ,

 _"Do you have a name? Even if you are me, in a way."_ ,

 ** _"No. Not at the moment, but I will be given one soon. Your destiny will foresee itself soon."_** Then… nothing but silence in her head. The Voice simply shut itself away. Taking out the Silka Beads, Ahsoka stared at the turquoise object and clenched them tightly, before giving in to her pent up anger, standing up and yelling out, throwing the beads down the steps.

"Katooni, you have left me. You have abandoned me. I HATE YOU!" She said out loud, only to come to her senses and realising she threw the one object that kept her connected to her Padawan. She even realised what she said, how could she? Sure, Katooni left her, but it was brave of her to leave the Order, but by the Force, she could never hate the Tholothian. "What have I done!?"

She rushed down the steps to find Katooni's beads, they are the only object she can't let go of.

* * *

IV:

_ Year: 19 BBY… _

_ Night… _

_ Time: 1945 (19:45 Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Supreme Chancellor's Office, Senate Office, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano jumped off her speeder, racing up to the Chancellor's office to confront. She openly disobeyed Master Windu's orders, since he believed she was too close to the Supreme Chancellor. You can't blame her, he's been by her side since she met him at ten years old, he's literally like her grandfather or an uncle to her. The Voice began to stir, it seemed… excited? Excited about what? The Voice hadn't surfaced since that moment when Katooni left or even when she reunited with her on Mandalore. It surprisingly stayed quiet, until now. The Voice kept pestering her to move faster and that she did. Finally, she reached the Chancellor's office, hearing the commotion by the large balcony window and the sound of… is that fearful cries? Rushing in, Ahsoka couldn't believe what she was seeing, Windu had his lightsaber drawn, holding it at Chancellor Palpatine's throat. Master Windu is threatening him! This is an act of treason in accordance with the laws of The Grand Army of the Republic! She had to stop this.

"Oh! Ahsoka my dear!" It definitely is the Chancellor. "You see! I was right all along, the Jedi are taking over!" Ahsoka faced Windu.

"You can't kill him, Windu." She said to him, "The Chancellor must stand trial!" The Jedi Master and Council Member weren't budging on his current notion.

"We can't bring him to court, Tano. He has too much power over them." He turned back to the Chancellor. "It is the end for you, Your Grace." Palpatine's face turned to a sneer,

"No, no! You will die!" Ahsoka jumped back, as Windu narrowly raised his sabre to block the barrage of Force Lightning. The Togruta's head was spinning, the Chancellor is Force-sensitive!? Is that how he knew the legend of Darth Plageuis the Wise? Was he the Apprentice of that Sith Lord!? So that means… "He's the traitor!",

"He's the traitor! Don't listen to him!" The redirected Force Lightning began to change the Chancellor's appearance and it was hurting him.

"I have the power to help you protect the one you love!" Cried the Chancellor. Ahsoka remembered why she came here. Kaeden, she had to protect Kaeden, her life is in danger and the Chancellor has the answer of who is after her. He has the power to teach her to become stronger, to keep her wife safe. Safe from the Jedi. She recalled his words. _"Be careful around the Jedi, young Tano. They fear what you are becoming. Let me warn you: they know. They know about your attachment."_ It's the Jedi who are going to kill Kaeden! How exactly did they find out though? None of them knew unless… Anakin. Anakin told Obi-wan, then Obi-wan relayed it to the Council, they just chose not to punish her yet. Anakin has betrayed her and so has Padmé, her own parents! The very two people who took in! The hypocrites! She has to stop them. Ahsoka won't let the Jedi, not even Anakin take Kaeden from her. The barrage of lightning from Palpatine stopped out of exhaustion. "I can- I can't- I- I'm too- I'm too weak." His appearance has changed drastically, sunken yellow-gold eyes, thin, wispy white-grey hair and a disfigured looking face. "Please don't kill me!" His final plea to Windu.

"Master Windu, this is not the Jedi way!" Pleaded Ahsoka. "But I need him!" Straightening himself, Windu made his decision final. He raised purple bladed lightsaber to strike down Chancellor Palpatine, who is, in fact, Darth Sidious, the same Sith who treated her with kindness and listened to her frustrations and misgivings about the Jedi. He was the one who forewarned her about the Jedi learning about her attachment, her marriage to Kaeden Larte. Ahsoka's own decision was made, to protect Kaeden, she has to kill Windu. She has to annihilate all threats to both her and Kaeden. She can't let the Chacellor die, he's her only hope to save Kaeden. The Jedi Master brought down his sabre, but she intercepted, bringing out her own while screaming ' _no_ '! She cut off Mace Windu's hand, he lost his sabre, it deactivated and fell down the many storeys of this building, probably to be lost forever. Sidious smiled, now knowing he has completely swooned Ahsoka to his side and unleashed his new barrage of lightning. Ahsoka could do nothing but watch as Windu yelled in absolute pain, being electrocuted alive. The Voice spoke to her. She blocked out what went on with the outside world momentarily.

 ** _"Do nothing. You have made the right choice."_** And she listened, properly. Ahsoka did nothing. Sidious then threw Mace out the window, the Jedi Master plummeted to his death. Lord Sidious stood up. **_"Kneel."_** And so she did. Sidious can and will teach her the powers she needs to protect Kaeden. It is all she wants.

"You have made a valiant choice, Tano. If you hadn't intervened, I would be dead and fate be the same for your wife.",

 ** _"Beg to him. Sith Lords love hearing their Apprentice beg!"_** She listened,

"Please, I will do what you ask. Just help me protect Kaeden." Begged Ahsoka in earnest, kneeling before the Dark Lord.

"Of course, of course." He cooed, "The Jedi attempt on your wife shall not go unpunished. I now accept you as my Apprentice. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth… Véurr." The Voice seemed to have left or has now… merged with her and Véurr felt the Darkness wrap around her mind, the Dark Side now flowing through her veins, empowering her. The tendrils of darkness clung to every part of her, Véurr welcomed its embrace, it is intoxicating and she already wanted more.

"Thank you, my Lord."

The Voice in a way was Ahsoka, yet still nameless, but now, it has taken on a new identity. Darth Véurr. The Dark Protector.

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Vod: Brother/Sister/Comrade

Ori'vod: Older Brother/Sister/Special friend

Shebs: Ass/Backside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka, this is why you should never listen to the voice in your head and perhaps even taken Padmé's advice and got professional help. Would have went a long way to prevent you from bringing Genesis on the whole galaxy and scarring for life certain people you were close to!
> 
> Will do another one-shot or two before heading into another new arc.
> 
> Stay tuned!


	9. Hidden GAR Reports: Order 37 on Fest (20 BBY & 5 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galactic Republic of Old is full of secrets and sins. Sins that are revealed when top secret military GAR reports are discovered by The New Republic, one written by the fallen Jedi Knight and General of The 332nd Ahsoka Tano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another little one-shot. This was a difficult one to write because I'm not 100% sure if this order was carried during the years of The Clone Wars. However, this is Galaxy-38, things are different and I am heavily mixing Legends with this series.
> 
> Some mentions of characters like Jedi Master Fay and Durge you may not have heard of. You might remember Durge as he was seen in the 2D animated Star Wars: Clone Wars (deemed Legends now). Master Fay is a Near-human who throughout her life followed the will of the Force, a level Qui-gon could not achieve. In return, the Force gifted her with agelessness and it is uncertain if she ever carried or built a lightsaber. She was considered the purest Jedi in history.
> 
> And Cassian gets a cameo! You might need to read about his background a little. If you're unsure of anything, consult the Wookiepedia.
> 
> Won't spoil anymore. Happy reading, I guess?

_"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty._

_The obedient must be slaves."_

\- Henry David Thoreau

* * *

Chapter 9: Hidden GAR Reports - Order 37 on Fest

* * *

Legend:

Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Ahsoka Tano:

Age: 19 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Former Mentor, General of The 332nd Battalion, Leader of Akul Squadron

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte

****

Akul Squadron:

Age: 12 (Human)/24 (Clone) Years

Born: 32 BBY

Planet of Origin: Kamino; Wild Space

Species: Human (Mandalorian Clones)

Affiliation/Position: Members of The 332nd

****

Sheev Palpatine (Darth Sidious):

Age: 64 Years

Born: 84 BBY

Planet of Origin: Naboo; Mid Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Politician, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Sith Lord

****

Cassian Jeron Andor:

Age: 6 Years

Born: 26 BBY

Planet of Origin: Fest; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Orphan, Confederacy of Independent Systems supporter, Anti-Republic Protestor

* * *

_ Year: 20 BBY… _

_ Night… _

_ Time: 2300 (23:00 Coruscanti Time)… _

_ One Month After Order 37… _

Canon: _Post-The Wrong Jedi Arc; Star Wars - The Clone Wars_

( _Scene: Ahsoka's Office, The Hunter, Hyperspace Lane, En Route to Coruscant, Galaxy-38_ )

Jedi General Ahsoka's hands were shaking. She has to write a report to the The GAR on the mission she and her boys went on, but she has only written a measly two-hundred words. A mission report should not be difficult, she has done so many of them, why is this particular one so hard? Staring hard at the datapad, Ahsoka typed another five words before her hands started shaking again and out of frustration, she threw the datapad at the wall, destroying it; along with all her previous hard work on the report. She cursed herself, the Force and the Shilian Gods for her stupidity. Ever since her Padawan left, Ahsoka has been finding her temper flaring more easily, more tempted to grasp the Dark Side. She had no one to be her anchor except The Voice in her head when she doesn't have have the stabilising comfort of her wife or her parents. Hearing her stomach growling, Tano decided to go and get food in the mess hall, she is happy to be alone, most of the boys are asleep, unless they are having nightmares of what they have done one month ago. If Katooni, Padmé and Anakin, even the Jedi found out about this mission she had led, they would not only be disappointed in her, but be wary of her… Kaeden. Kaeden, her wife, she can't lose her either, it will break Ahsoka. Kaeden will leave her because of this, demand divorce and… Ahsoka refuses to lose her, she needs Kaeden. As she walked the halls, Ahsoka kept asking why? Why would the Jedi her disappointed in her? Excuses and defensive reasonings flew through her head, to justify what she and the men had done. They busted another hole in the Seppie's advancements. They were tasked with hunting down a separatist outpost on the planet of Fest in the Outer Rim, within the Atrivis Sector. It's an industrial planet, surrounded by frozen plains, snowy hills and mountains. Their point of interest is the research centre that is developing a Phrik super metal. When they received word by the Chancellor himself, Ahsoka swore that facility was destroyed by Omega Squadron ten months into the first year of the war! What gave the Separatists the bright idea to rebuild it? It doesn't matter, they were going to destroy it.

On top of that same order for the destruction of the research base, there was a wanted Separatist lead scientist, no, it is not Doctor Vindi. According to the file on him that the Republic had and supplied her with, he is a scientist with questionable, ethical or unethical motives and he was wanted. He resided with the people. But they've hit a small problem. A small town; yet large enough. A small town with a population of ten-thousand, including newborns. The people refused to cooperate with them, being Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) supporters, the facility was through the town. They were also refusing to hand over the scientist to Republican hands.

Hearing the sounds, Ahsoka stumbled over her steps, catching the wall to stop her from falling and holding her head, she's already starting to hear things and see ghosts. She's hearing the cries, pleas of mercy, to spare the women and the children, the name of a six-year-old runs through her head: Cassian. Cassian. Cassian. That boy was told to run, she ordered four of her troopers to run after him to lock him up with the other children, but they lost his trail and he got away. They didn't bother searching for him after that, the child wasn't worth it. They left him to the mercy of the wilderness and he'd most likely die of starvation or the freezing cold, if the predators didn't get him first.

 _"What have I done?"_ She asked herself, _"What am I becoming?"_ ,

 ** _"What you are destined to be, child."_** The Voice cryptically answered and memories of that mission flooded back into Ahsoka's head, in clear, violent detail.

**_ One Month Ago… _ **

**_ Early Morning… _ **

**_ Time: 0615 (06:15 Coruscanti Time)… _ **

**_ Days Since Order Thirty-seven Initiated: 0 _ **

**Canon: _Post-The Wrong Jedi Arc; Star Wars - The Clone Wars_**

( **Flashback** / _ **Scene: Outside Town, Fest, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38**_ )

 _T **he Hunter**_ **stayed hovering over Fest's atmosphere, as Ahsoka ordered. She and her squadron of Clone Troopers came down in LAAT/i ships, thankfully they have met no aerial resistance, so it seems the resistance will come from the ground. She briefed the men to be as respectful as they can to the natives, they are Separatist supporters, but they need to come across as peaceful, maybe swoon them over to the Republic, that they aren't the bad guys in this war. The CIS wanted war, they declared it, the Republic wasn't given a choice and the Chancellor, her friend had no choice but to engage. The Seppies want blood, they gave them blood. Seeing the town overhead, she ordered the pilots to land fifty metres away and to their luck, there was a clearing large enough for the ships. Stepping out, the troops readied their weapons: DC-17s, Z-6 Rotary Cannons, DC-15A Blaster Rifles and DC-15S Blaster Carbines. Ahsoka checked that her lightsabers are securely clipped to her belt, which altered to make room for her DC-17 holster and extra clips. The Jedi scowl at her whenever they see her carry such an 'uncivilised' weapon within the temple. It's basically a middle finger to their teachings. All in all, everything is in working order. A jammed blaster is all they need. Next, General Tano told the men to switch the weaponry to stun, they don't want to take lives unnecessarily. Tano didn't want to scare the village with a platoon of Clone Troopers, so she only took Akul Squadron with her, the rest were to stay behind, man the perimeter and set up camp. With that, she and Akul Squadron went off to the town, hopefully, they can be reasoned with, if not, drastic measures might need to be taken and it's measures Ahsoka does not want to take. Their first goal at the moment, is to arrest the wanted scientist.**

**The town shortly came into view after the twenty minute trek. It surprisingly looked happy, there was prosperity, but prosperity coming from the wrong side. There were children playing, adults going about their daily lives, which to them, came to a sudden halt when they gazed upon them. The parents came running, snatching their children, but Ahsoka simply raised her hands, asking to see the person running this town. They at least agreed to call for an authoritative figure and it was some kind of… Commander, surprisingly not a droid, but a human. He calls himself Commander Scott and judging by his face, he wasn't impressed. Ahsoka knew in an instant this wasn't going to be easy, as if anything in war is, there is no way they will let them arrest the scientist and destroy their research facility. Why did the Chancellor assign this mission to her? After nearly thirty minutes of going nowhere negotiations, Commander Scott put his foot down, raising his blaster at her face, prompting Akul Squadron to raise their own.**

**"You'd be a fool to shoot at me, Commander Scott. My men can pull the trigger faster than you, Deadshot (CT-9350) even faster." Ahsoka said to him, remaining very calm and now noticing the town has become quiet. The people retreated to their homes and boarded up. "You will surrender Doctor William Cranston." The Chancellor put under notes that the research base was second priority, he wanted the arrest of Doctor Cranston to be first priority of the mission.**

**"We will not hand him over, Republican Jedi dog." General Tano was tempted to choke him, as the tendrils of the Dark Side started to sneak up into her heart. Though, she resisted and pushed it down. "You have twenty-four hours to leave or I will send the droids to attack you." And he walked away from them. With zero cooperation of the people, General Tano has to contact Admiral Skylar, if needs be, contact head of The GAR and if pushed, the Supreme Chancellor himself. It was another twenty minute walk back to the set up camp, the technicians already have the communication terminals set up. Deep down, Ahsoka was fuming, she was hoping the people would make this easier for themselves and the predator inside her wanted nothing but to kill and destroy, like she did with Kikuk's pirate gang. The predator wanted death, it wanted fire, it wanted destruction and bask in the screams of fear, suffering and agony. The predator was already snapping at her mind, snapping at the placid, tamed Akul. Ahsoka has always viewed the Force as an Akul to give it a physical form, there was two sides, the tamed Akul that is the Light and then the feral Dark Akul that awoke after the destruction of the pirate gang on Felucia. She had to mentally slap them both on the muzzle and they recoiled, returning to their respective dens. Of course, who was she kidding? Separatists are the enemy, they can't be reasoned with, she wanted nothing but to eradicate all Seppie supporters, but she has to follow protocol. Well, Ahsoka has to make it fast because they have until tomorrow to leave and something tells her, those Seppies want her and her men gone by today instead. Standing before the communication terminal, she linked in with Skylar, the Admiral of The Hunter.**

**_"Ah, General Tano. Make any headway?"_ Ahsoka shook her head, yet keeping an air of professionalism.**

**"Unfortunately, Admiral, the population is being… difficult. They refuse to hand over the wanted scientist and I can tell any means we impose on them, they will rebuff." Her response made Skylar scratch his chin. He's now in his thinking mode. There was a moment of silence before he made his response.**

**_"I will get in contact with the Supreme Commander, he will know what is best."_ His answer surprised Ahsoka, Supreme Commander!? Supreme Chancellor Palpatine? Is she not going to talk to someone in The GAR first? Perhaps he knows of her friendship with Palpatine, well, that makes everything easier and quicker. The Chancellor and her are good friends, he was the one person outside the Jedi Order who will listen to her and all her frustrations and misgivings. She even entrusted him with her secrets, he's an uncle to her, that could explain why he assigned this mission to her. He knew she was the right General to go to and will do what needs to be done, while her tactics can be questionable in the eyes of the Jedi, she gets nods of approval by those in The GAR, even by Admiral Tarkin, as much as she loathes him for his treatment of her Padawan, framing her. Skylar disconnected for a moment, probably to get permission to ask for the Chancellor, once he drops her name, Palpatine will be answering her in no time. Five minutes went by, the terminal lit up, indicating an incoming transmission, leave it to her friend to answer in record timing. Accepting the transmission, a miniature hologram of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine appeared. The technicians walked out of the tent, leaving the conversation between the General and the Chancellor, this is confidential and all the General can do is relay the order that is recommended and given.**

**_"Ahsoka, my dear."_ Greeted Palpatine, _"Admiral Skylar contacted me about a situation you and your battalion are in. I see you seek my guidance."_ ,**

**"Your guidance would be welcome, my friend." Smiled Ahsoka, feeling a comfortable ease before the Chancellor, not only is he her friend, he is also an uncle to her or a grandfather. In all the years Ahsoka has known him, since meeting him all the way back in 29 BBY, he has shown her nothing but kindness. The other stabilising figure she had, before her death, was Jedi Master Fay, a Near-human. The Master Jedi died in 22 BBY, she was following the guidance of the Force and it led her to Obi-wan's team on the planet of Queyta. She and Obi-wan fought Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress and a two-thousand-year-old bounty hunter named Durge. An aggressive and psychotic Gen'Dai, she never met him and wouldn't want to, Master Kenobi faced him on the planet of Muunilinst and killed him by… well… blowing him up from the inside with the Force after being absorbed by the Gen'Dai. Hopefully, he has remained dead, he lived for two-thousand and two years, that is long enough for him. Anyways, Fay died on that planet, supposedly, due to following the guidance of the Force and the Force alone, it granted her the gift of agelessness, but it's not immortality either. There was no other Jedi in the temple who understood her, other than Anakin, Obi-wan, Plo and Shaak. Fay listened to her and offered guidance, never once did she look at Ahsoka with pity or sympathy, she felt a layer of empathy. Ahsoka missed Master Fay. Pulling herself out of the past missions of The Clone War's early days, Ahsoka turned her attention back to the Chancellor and spoke again. "The civilians here show no sign of working with us or peacefully agreeing to any negotiations." She concluded,**

**_"If the population is refusing cooperation, they will no doubt turn down all forms of negotiation, as you have stated. Disappointing indeed."_ ,**

**"Exactly my point, Your Grace." General Tano hummed, crossing her arms. "This is where the standstill is and the Separatist Commander wants us gone by tomorrow, but they would prefer today.",**

**_"Arresting Doctor Cranston is your priority, you cannot leave without him. I really don't want to use this order, but it leaves us little choice and he is wanted. My dear, under my orders, I am giving you the right and authority to commence Order Thirty-seven."_ Tano's eyes widened, she knows about the Clone Protocols, read them all and thirty-seven she completely abhors, even Captain Slip (CT-4056) hates the order.**

**"Chancellor, is this the only way?",**

**_"I'm afraid so. Please Ahsoka, you know what is at stake and don't worry, no one will ever know."_ Unknown to the Jedi General, Palpatine was internally smiling, he can feel not only her conflict but her balance tipping slowly more and more towards the Dark Side. He almost has her, all he needs to give her is one more push, this mission he personally assigned her to, is another stepping stone. All the way back in 29 BBY, Palpatine or Darth Sidious has been manipulating Ahsoka and now, it has become so much easier with her Padawan gone. Sidious has begun grooming her towards the Dark Side of the Force, ever since she told him of the slaughter of the pirate gang that kidnapped her as a child and getting her to execute Order Thirty-seven will tip her balance even further. Soon enough, his patience will be rewarded with the Togruta as his Apprentice, Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano will fall and will be reborn as Darth Véurr, as he has foreseen. His mechanisms is going all according to plan. Palpatine heard Ahsoka let out a reluctant sigh, she knew there was no other way.**

**"It will be done, Chancellor." Nodding, the transmission ended and Ahsoka exited the tent. There, Slip and the rest of Akul Squadron were waiting for her, along with another six-hundred troopers, several of them Shinies, but many have their armour painted. While this is going on, she can kill two birds with one stone. A small strike team to destroy the research facility, while the rest stay with her and oversee Order Thirty-seven. She indicated to Akul Squadron to follow her and told them the plan, they will destroy the facility and ARC Trooper Bomber (CT/ARC-1629) was a little too excited about setting off ' _fireworks_ '. Sometimes, she worries about him, but that's what makes Bomber unique. Slip was going to question about getting the scientist and what the Chancellor said, but Ahsoka replied, maybe a little too coldly to him that it is none of his concern and his primary goal is to blow up the research station. Slip was taken aback by her sudden iciness, but she apologised quickly, he knew she is somewhat stressed and misses her Padawan; the General always struggled with attachment. He made a note to himself to question Tano, but right now, the research facility has to go boom and… someone has to make sure Bomber doesn't get overzealous or over the rails. It took Akul Squadron half an hour to prepare, along with taking a few Shinies, they were ready and made off to carry out their part of the mission. When they were gone, Ahsoka called out to Zuko (CT-3964) and the rest of the troops she has with her. They all stood to attention, awaiting orders. "The people of Fest have refused to cooperate and turn over Doctor William Cranston. I spoke with the Supreme Chancellor, or Supreme Commander in this case. We have no choice but to force the civilians to turn him over or pressure him to turn himself in to us. Supreme Commander Palpatine has permitted me the authorisation to execute Order Thirty-seven." The order felt like sawdust coming out of her mouth. The men straightened, as if something triggered in their minds. "If we are met with resistance by droids, fight back until all threats are neutralised, we will introduce civic lockdowns first. If refusal is still met, after twenty-four hours, mass arrests will follow and set up a concentration camp; separate families, but let the women hold onto their babies. We wait for another twenty-fours and if Cranston refuses to turn himself in, shoot the civilians, children and babies as well. Spare no one and cover-up protocol as follows, am I clear?" General Tano straightened herself, arms behind her back, authority, there is no room for doubt or weakness. She felt the Dark Akul chuckling, just creeping out of its den, enough to see its yellow-gold eyes and it wants blood. Her thoughts were broken with the sound of the multiple, simultaneous same response.**

**"Yes, sir!" They saluted. This is it, Clone Protocol/Order Thirty-seven has been initiated.**

_ **Five Hours Later…** _

**( _Scene: Town, Fest, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )**

**As Ahsoka expected, heavy resistance was met. The Separatist Commander, Scott unleashed a platoon of Battle, Super, Commando Droids and Droidekas, along with three tanks. The populace took cover in an underground war shelter, Doctor Cranston hid in a more secure bunk which only he can open and is impervious to most ballistics and resistant to lightsabers. All this really began to test Tano's patience, she happily killed Commander Scott, when he begged her not to, he has a family; however, she did not listen to him and severed her head. She felt the Darkness rise again, the Dark Akul coming out of its den and she let it, pushing down the Light Akul. Ahsoka touched the Dark Side with frightening familiarity, frightening in the perspective of the Jedi if they found out, but to her it was comforting; gives her the strength to carry this difficult order. Not only that, she… inwardly loved the power that flows through her, a power she doesn't get from the Light, the power Ahsoka felt when she struck down Kikuk and his gang, even the pleasure slaves as they begged her for mercy! While it took up some precious time, the enemy droid unit was dealt with, once again, showing the effective might and predatory savageness of The 332nd, now, they are also revealing how ruthless they can and how unforgiving their General is when one does not cooperate. After all, you should never test the alpha predator. With the civilians bunking themselves in the shelters, they basically have doomed themselves, all herded in one place like Mesa Goats for the slaughter. Within that time, Ahsoka commanded the troops to prepare the concentration camps and prepare for mass arrests, civic lockdowns have been scrapped from the plan. She is giving Cranston two choices: turn himself in or watch the people die, starting with the children to end their suffering today, followed by the women tomorrow, then the men. General Ahsoka Tano is giving him three days and she is not fooling around.**

**It didn't take long for the screaming, cries and protests as the Clone Troopers broke into war shelters, forcing the people out and pulling children away from their parents. The mothers and fathers cried for their child, as the young ones reached for them, but only to be roughly pulled away and placed into a holding facility. The women were kept in, one, the men in the other, the populace of ten-thousand were locked up like animals. That was when Ahsoka heard someone yell out, when a young boy, no more than six managed to get free of one of her men.**

**"CASSIAN! RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK! RUN BOY" Must be a friend or a relative or it could be his father. The child made a sprint, heading towards the snowy plains. Anger swelled inside Ahsoka, she can't have anyone escape! She looked to four of the troops.**

**"Zuko, Yin (CT-0500), Yang (CT-1000) and Trey (CT-9547), chase him down now!" Not replying, they ran after the boy, another walked up beside her and handed her a megaphone. No doubt Cranston is watching and he can hear. "Doctor William Cranston! This is General Ahsoka Tano of the Grand Army of the Republic. You are a wanted man and must turn yourself in or face the consequences. If you do not surrender, I will order my men to kill the civilians, starting with the children." The young children panicked, the mothers and fathers especially, yelling out angry abuse. One shouted:**

**"You are a Jedi! This goes against your teachings!" A female,**

**"Heartless, Republican monster! How could your mother give birth to someone like-" His statement angered Ahsoka, instinctively calling on the power of the Dark Side, the predator inside her was unleashed. Twisting her hand in a claw, the man grabbed his throat as it began to seize and tighten. She then lifted him up in the air, struggling to breathe.**

**"I would learn to hold your tongue, Seppie." The tendrils coiled around her, The Voice whispering to snap his neck. No, she would not do that, the procedure of Order Thirty-seven must follow as is in the GAR manual. Ahsoka roughly dropped him and clicked her fingers. "Rancor Squadron, surround the children." The platoon of twenty Clones armed with Z-6 Rotary Cannons took their place around the perimeter of the cage containing the children. They began to cry out for their mothers and fathers to rescue them, to stop the ' _evil_ ' Jedi and her battalion of faceless, identical men. The Jedi General turned on the megaphone again. "Last chance, Cranston! You have thirty seconds before I order my men to gun down the children. Do you want their blood on your conscience?" Silence, absolute silence. Tano counted thirty seconds, it passed, Cranston has made no action. She just sighed, it's his fault. She turned to Rancor Squadron. "Kill the children and burn their bodies." And just like that, all it took was one minute, as the intense barrage of plasma from the rotating barrel struck the children. They scrambled over each other like insects, screaming and crying but had no way to escape and shortly, they were silenced. Their bodies almost ripped apart by the plasma, they were unrecognisable, their little bodies full of plasma holes. The rotary cannons shredded them in a way, then, the burning of their bodies began, to cover up the mass execution. Tomorrow, they have to repeat, this time, threatening the lives of the women with their babies in their arms and unsurprisingly, some are bearing children. Ahsoka hopes the Chancellor is right that this will be tightly covered up, so tight no one will ever uncover this order. If the Jedi find out, she will be expelled, like shouldn't care, Katooni is gone and if Katooni was with her, she will just abandon her and see her as what? A monster? A murderer? Does following orders make Ahsoka any of these? This is the reality of war. Who Ahsoka doesn't want to lose over this is Kaeden Larte, she just can't lose Kaeden, the Togruta would completely go over the edge if that happens. Mentally shaking her head, Ahsoka focused on the task at hand, she can worry about her wife later, right now, the men need her to be their General and she commanded them to lock down the town they have under Republican control.**

_ **Two Days Later…** _

_ **Days Since Order Thirty-seven Initiated: 3** _

**The Clones of The 332nd were becoming worried at how slowly volatile their General was becoming, she's been getting very snappy, sleeping less, bags under her eyes. On one or two occasions she has addressed them by number, yet was quick to ratify her mistake. The scientist still won't turn himself in, it is evident that it's trying her patience. They also guessed it was coming down to stress Order Thirty-seven is having on her, along with the war as it drags on, it is into its second year, two and a half years actually. They wished their Commander was here, Commander Katooni, while she can be just as reckless as General Tano, the Kid was at least a calming presence for the Togruta. The 332nd was an unconventional battalion, the boys lost count of how many times the Kaminoans claimed they were ' _defective_ ' because to work well with The General, they have to be freethinking, on the button as her plans have a… tenacity to change at a moment's notice. This is something not covered in simulations unless you are undertaking specialised Advanced Recon Commando (ARC) or Commando training. If a Clone Trooper can't do such things, The 332nd is the wrong battalion to be in. Since the Commander left the Order, giving up her rank within The Grand Army of the Republic, Tano demanded no one ever dare mention Katooni's name in her presence. This just makes it more obvious that The General really misses her Padawan, the battalion became a little less jovial when she left, General Tano still remained close to her soldiers, but there was a… protective barrier around herself per se, she closed in on herself. Many of the troops learned Tano does not deal with abandonment very well, struggles with attachment, something the Jedi forbid and the battalion also concluded the mechanic that was with them during The Blue Shadow Virus Incident, Kaeden Larte; she and General Tano were very close, cosy, like… lovers. Some of the men have whispered amongst each other in the mess hall that they swore they saw Larte going in an out of Tano's room. She'd be going pretty excited, then coming out looking like she had the time of her life. They were warned by Captain Slip to keep it to themselves.**

**Here they are once more, one last time. The men of Rancor Squadron surrounded the cage holding the women and their babies, feck! Some of the female prisoners are pregnant! Doctor William Cranston still won't cooperate, even after they gunned down the men, the same way they have done with the children. CT-17-9999 or Niner really did not want to execute the women and the pregnant, as he has with the men and the children. Despite Order Thrity-seven being initiated, he feels… he feels like a monster, the Republic stands for justice and freedom, not fear and oppression! Like Captain Slip, Niner has become concerned for his General, she has… changed since Commander Katooni left to follow her own path. Everyone in the battalion knows General Tano cannot cope with abandonment and she feels Katooni has abandoned her, she has ordered them to never mention her name in front of her. Niner was brought out of his thoughts when his General finished giving the same statement over the megaphone and this time, the Seppie scientist gave in, exiting his safe house with his arms raised. Two of his brothers ran over, catching Cranston by the arm, cuffing him. Niner sighed in relief, they can go home, let the women rebuild from the destruction caused by Order Thirty-seven. Akul Squadron came back not too long ago after destroying the research base, it took longer than they would have liked, it was heavily fortified for such a facility. Phrik super metal must have been priceless research. Cranston was handed to Akul Squadron under Tano's commands, they were told to stay on _The Hunter_ , which Slip wanted to protest about, he knew Thirty-seven was executed and he's one of the few brothers who hate this order. Niner can only imagine Slip's face that his General was actually carrying it out, when Tano pulled rank on him, he reluctantly sighed, sagging his shoulders and walked off. The General turned to him and his squad, he was waiting for her to tell them to lower their guns, but instead, it was the opposite.**

**"Kill them." Two words and she said it so… cold it was foreign to him. Is this General Tano? Or this some demon that has possessed her? His brothers waited for him to take lead, he is the leader of Rancor Squadron after all. A part of him had to obey, he's a Clone, good soldiers follow orders, but the General he knows allowed them to think freely for themselves, choose right from wrong, the grey area. Niner cannot bring himself to shoot the women, this is wrong. He chooses to disobey. General Tano raised an eye marking at him as he threw his Z-6 Rotary Cannon to the ground with a heavy thud. Niner straightened himself, glaring at Tano through his visor and due to her predatory nature, being the alpha of this group, her tribe, she took this as a challenge.**

**"No, General Tano." He said to her in the sternest voice he can muster, matching his General almost. "You haven't been the same since Commander Katooni left.",**

**"You are treading dangerous waters, Niner." Ahsoka growled. Niner must be seeing things, he swore he just saw Tano's eyes flash gold. "I order you to shoot them!",**

**"No, sir." The General's jaw clenched, the air between him and Tano was heavy and tense. His brothers were staying silent and following an order that is just wrong, this is genocide they are committing and covering up! It appears the Republic is not so righteous after all. General Tano approaches him, only leaving an arm's length distance. Blocking out the sound of the women crying, the men of The 332nd tensely waited for their General to make a response about Niner's disobedience, will she throw him into the brig or… Ahsoka reached for her DC-17 holstered to her hip, taking it out, already set to kill. She fired a single bolt into his chest before Niner could blink, could hardly feel the plasma bolt pierce him. Niner dropped to the ground lifeless. The Clones made no emotion, they got the message: follow orders or die.**

**"Shoot the prisoners." Another Clone, CT-6666 - Six, took up Niner's rotary cannon, taking his place beside Rancor Squadron. They followed his lead and fired upon the screaming, wailing women trapped in a giant cage, with nowhere to escape but death.**

**The cleanup stage began and communication was cut off for a month. For the first time, Jedi General Ahsoka Tano has shown her men that she can be merciless and ruthless when she wants to be. For those three days she is a predator. However…**

**A good soldier follows orders.**

( **Flashback Ends** )

Instead of going to the canteen, Ahsoka ended up in the refresher, leaning against the counter over the sink and looking at herself in the mirror. She was a mess, she was a self-destructing mess since Katooni left her, abandoned her. Katooni promised her that she wouldn't be alone! That she will never leave her alone! Her Padawan lied to her. Perhaps The Voice is right, everyone she cares about will leave her in the end, maybe except The Voice itself and the Chancellor. Will her own battalion leave her? Commit mutiny like The 501st Legion had done on Master Pong Krell? Though he was an exception, he turned against the Order. Remembering what she did and ordered when Clone Protocol Thirty-seven was executed, it all caused her to throw up into the sink, vomiting water, bile and she thinks that is her lunch from last night. If she can recall when her last meal was. She wants to be home now, to be in Kaeden's arms and just forget about it all, Force! She executed Niner without a second thought because he refused to follow her orders. How could she even follow through with Order Thirty-seven?

 _"What am I becoming?"_ She asks herself again, _"Am I no better than a Separatist? Am I a monster?"_ ,

 ** _"You are becoming what you are destined to be."_** The Voice. What did it mean by that? Looking up at the mirror, all Ahsoka saw was a tall shadowy figure, like a silhouette, two spikes protruding from the head; indicating a Togruta. No! She must be hallucinating, that is not her! With a yell, Ahsoka punched the mirror, pain shooting through her hand and the small glass shards jamming themselves into her knuckles and she fell to the floor, crying to herself.

 _"I'm sane. I'm sane. I'm not crazy. I'm not going crazy!"_ General/Jedi Knight Ahsoka needed a drink, something strong to forget about this for one night, it looks like it will be another trip to her usual haunt in The Underworld. Ahsoka needs to get drunk. Heavily.

* * *

Character Profile:  


Kaeden Larte:

Age: 44 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic, Retired Rebel

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker:

Age: 24 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

* * *

_Twenty-five Years Later… _

_ Year: 5 ABY… _

_ Evening… _

_ Time: 1855 (18:55 Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Post-Return of the Jedi_

( _Scene: Chancellor's Office, Senate Building, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Kaeden's hands were shaking as she read the mission report dated back to 20 BBY of The Clone Wars, a report her wife had written. This mission report was locked behind the highest security levels in The GAR, so high only the Supreme Commander (Supreme Chancellor) could only have access to it. The New Republic was able to override the system with Artoo's (R2-D2) help and they uncovered this report about the infamous Order Thirty-seven. Her wife wrote this, she followed this order, how could she!? Before she fell and became Darth Véurr, Ahsoka and her battalion committed genocide and it was hidden from the people. Her wife killed men, women and children one year before the Chancellor executed Order Sixty-six, The Great Jedi Purge. Ahsoka, her wife's hands were covered in so much blood, Kaeden could forgive her for slaughtering Kikuk's gang, he deserved it; but… the people living in the town on Fest, sure they were Separatist supporters, but they were innocent! They didn't need to die so… so brutally. It does appear though… Ahsoka struggled to write this, she was heavily conflicted and kept it to herself! Kaeden was so worried for her when she got no word for a whole month straight, it was because they cut communication; her battalion went on a blackout. Ahsoka was suffering due to this order and hid it from her! The night she returned was the night her wife went down to get pissed drunk, to the point that Kaeden herself went down, with help from Anakin. Between them both, they were able to haul Ahsoka's backside up to the surface. The Chancellor, Palpatine, Darth Sidious, he made her do this, it was all part of his plan to manipulate and swoon her to his side. He was grooming her for the Dark Side. They all should have seen he was using her!

"This was another of Sidious' stepping stones to manipulate and twist her!" Kaeden gritted through her teeth. Unconsciously, her grip was becoming tighter on the datapad. Darth Sidious turned her kind and loving wife into a monster. He turned her into a monster when she clearly needed help.

"I'm so sorry, Kaeden." Leia said softly. The same three words her father-in-law used. What's there to be sorry about? Kaeden would have saved herself a lot of heartaches if she never met Ahsoka and now, she has to burden the sins of her wife, of what she has done as both Ahsoka Tano and Darth Véurr.

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah… Order 37 is horrible and actually much worse than Order 66. This order was another excuse for Palpatine to manipulate and lure Ahsoka to the Dark Side. Order 37 dangerously affected Ahsoka's balance in the Force and somewhat affecting her own mental stability. 
> 
> However, she technically did go a little crazy during Order 37, I mean… she executed one of her own men. Her drinking problem that she developed after Katooni left, will be looked into in another one-shot. She does get herself together around late 20 or early 19 BBY, but her state mind is beginning to get crappy. Order 37 did no favours.
> 
> Stay tuned for another one-shot on something, next one could be anything.
> 
> May the Force be with you, always.


	10. Dreams Are Made Of… (19-15 BBY & 4 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams are meant to be happy and what we have wanted, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took me a while. Last one-shot and then I'll start the next story arc. I don't want to spoil much, so…
> 
> Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Happy reading.

_"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."_

\- Edgar Allan Poe

* * *

Chapter 10: Dreams Are Made Of…

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Ahsoka Tano:

Age: 20 (19 BBY)/24 (15 BBY)/43 (4 ABY) Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Former Mentor, General of The 332nd Battalion, Leader of Akul Squadron

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Kaeden Larte

****

Kaeden Larte:

Age: 20 (19 BBY)/24 (15 BBY)/43 (4 ABY) Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano

****

Anakin Skywalker:

Age: 31 (19 BBY)/35 (15 BBY)/54 (4 ABY) Years

Born: 50 BBY

Planet of Origin: Tatooine; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Jedi Knight, Former mentor, General of The 501st Legion, Leader of Torrent Company

Year of Marriage: 31 BBY to Padmé Amidala

****

Padmé Amidala:

Age: 36 (19 BBY)/40 (15 BBY)/59 (4 ABY) Years

Born: 55 BBY

Planet of Origin: Naboo; Mid Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Queen, Senator of Naboo, Politician

Year of Marriage: 31 BBY to Anakin Skywalker

****

Katooni:

Age: 17 (19 BBY)/21 (15 BBY)/40 (4 ABY) Years

Born: 36 BBY

Planet of Orgin: Tholoth, Colonies Region

Species: Tholothian

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Padawan, Former Commander of The 332nd and Akul Squadron, Unofficial General of The 3rd Ranger Battalion

* * *

_ Year: 19 BBY… _

_ Evening… _

_ Time: 1945 (19:45; Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Post-Hidden GAR Reports: Order 37 on Fest; Star Wars: The Clone Wars/Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Hospital Room, Coruscant General Hospital, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

It hurt to open her eyes. Everything just hurt, while she finds it a blessing to be able to feel her limbs, it is just a pain to get her eyes to open. She can hear voices, they're muffled, but it is voices, frantic ones, calm ones, some agitated and worried. Where is she? Another few seconds passed, with more effort, she was able to open them fully, despite the strain the white light is having them. Her vision was fuzzy now, at least she's not blind. What happened? Why is she lying on a bed? Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, General of the famed 332nd found herself in… a hospital? How did she end up in the hospital!? The last thing she remembered… her memories are fuzzy and blurred, Ahsoka remembers shouting, yelling, maybe throwing something at the wall. She was in Kaeden's apartment and she was… she was drinking. How did drinking get herself landed in the hospital? Ahsoka can recall drinking Corellian Whiskey straight from the bottle, which she took from the bar down in The Underworld after having about five or six, maybe seven or eight drinks before that. It was the pretty strong stuff, it's a miracle she even managed to get back to Kaeden's apartment with the whiskey in hand. It hurts to remember, but Ahsoka knows why she began drinking, it was after Katooni left, The Voice in her head was being more active, she couldn't think straight and needed to drown it out. The only way she did it was drinking alcohol, it did its job, The Voice was being blocked out, she didn't hear it cruelly taunting her or speaking hard truths she doesn't want to admit. The drink did its job so well she moved up to the stronger drinks, the hard whiskeys, the drink was keeping The Voice at bay and it was how she started making nightly trips down to the bars. Kriff, she began buying and smuggling alcohol into her quarters on The Hunter until Field Medical Officer Stab (CT-24-3103) called her out on having a drinking problem after coming back with blood test analysis, her blood alcohol was at dangerous levels, which she openly denied; but that was when Captain Slip (CT-4056) went digging through her quarters and found her stash. He also accused her of being an alcoholic, which she also denied again, but he wasn't buying her lies, Slip thought it would be best that she stay away from the battalion, asked to keep them grounded until the General is ' _fit for duty_ '. It was in the best interest of the battalion and for her. Ahsoka might have snapped at Slip. It meant no missions or off world campaigns until she pulled herself together, but she was, right?

Ahsoka heard more movement to her right, her vision was much clearer now, the blurriness she was seeing has focused. In front of her with teary eyes, sighing in relief was her wife Kaeden Larte. Behind her was her parents, her adopted parents: Anakin Skywalker, who was more her father than Master during her Padawan years and Senator of Naboo Padmé Amidala. When they first met, Ahsoka was only ten, Anakin introduced her to Padmé and they just clicked; something in Ahsoka knew she could trust Padmé, whether that was the politician's natural maternal skills or just her genuine kind nature. The senator respected the fact she has issues with trust and abandonment, guess that could be another reason to turn to alcohol, people will gradually leave her, drink won't. Katooni left her, after she promised, that was before the temple bombing. Ahsoka looked for people to blame, the Council, Petro, Barriss… herself, she should have tried harder to make Katooni stay, not for the Jedi Order, not for the Council, but selfishly for her. The Togruta just cannot find the strength within her to let go, learning to trust people again was a big milestone in her life thanks to her father, as well as her mother; yet she struggles with abandonment, the fear of it… Ahsoka fears abandonment. There's always a chance those she trusted will walk away from her, leave her and… the thought of loved ones leaving Ahsoka's side hurts her, breaks her even. It is why she hates The Jedi Code so much, that one line: ' _There is no emotion, there is peace_ '. You can have peace and be emotional! They are all sentient beings, not unfeeling machines, no one in the galaxy can simply disconnect themselves from emotion, it's a part of them. The entire code is flawed, even Anakin agrees with her. Perhaps… Ahsoka feels she wouldn't be coping with all this if Anakin, Plo Koon and Shaak Ti never came to her rescue, maybe her life would have fared better as a slave fighter, a gladiator; that would mean any day could be her last. No, the Force had other ideas, somehow, if Anakin didn't get to her in time, the Force will find other ways to bring them together and he will do everything in his power to free her. Knowing Anakin, he would sneak her out, snatch her away from who could have been her cruel Masters, making money off of her. Turning her attention back to Kaeden, the Togruta gripped her wife's hand.

"Hey, I'm okay. I'm okay." She soothed. Her voice sounded croak and tasted like sawdust, the back of her throat felt dry. Padmé walked over to pour a glass of water which Ahsoka happily took, it was soothing and the sawdust taste went away.

"Thank the Force!" Choked Kaeden, "You've been unconscious for three days, cyar'ika." That caused Ahsoka's eyes to widen. She's been unconscious for three days!? How is that possible? Surely she did not drink that much to cause that, did she? Looking closely, even against the dark skin, Ahsoka could make out the tell tale signs of bruising on her right cheekbone. Did someone hurt her or did she do it? It hit the General, she struck out at Kaeden in a drunken rage.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't… I didn't mean… Kaeden, be honest with me. Did I hurt you?" Her wife turned away from her gaze, as if she was looking conflicted about telling the truth. Ahsoka needs to know the truth, if she hurt her… what else did she do to her when she was drunk? Make her have sex in her drunken state? Oh Force, did she rape her own wife in her drunk state?

"It was only once and that was three days ago. I'm fine, Ahsoka. Please don't blame yourself." That was when Anakin stepped forward.

"The doctor said it was alcohol poisoning. Snips, I know you miss Katooni," Hearing her former Padawan's name caused her to wince. Deep down, Ahsoka blamed Katooni for her pain, if Grand Master Yoda actually listened to her, the snarky Tholothian would not have been assigned to her. She might have actually done better under Anakin's or Obi-wan's tutelage, Ahsoka doesn't know if she taught Katooni anything useful at all, other than learning how to survive. All the Council did was give her someone to care about and be attached to. Selfishly, Katooni was the first proof that people she cares about will leave her, if Katooni left, who will leave her too? Anakin? Padmé? Obi-wan? Kaeden? Everyone sees her as the fearless Huntress, invincible and unbreakable, it's all lies. She's not fearless, she is not invincible or unbreakable, there's a lot of things she is afraid of. "But she would not wish to see you in this state! ‘Soka, this drinking… addiction has got to stop. We are at war as well, your battalion needs you! They need you to be their General." Padmé places a gentle hand on Anakin's shoulder to calm him down. "I'm going to get the doctor, let her know you're awake." Her father exits the room, gently closing the door, leaving herself, Kaeden and her mother. The clock in the room ticked by, counting each and every second, the silence in the room was almost unbearable, maybe not to Ahsoka and Kaeden; for Padmé however, it is.

"I understand you still have difficulty opening up, Little Akul. Just help me understand… why didn't you speak to myself or Anakin, Kaeden even." The senator took a seat, setting herself beside Kaeden, sitting on the other side of the bed may cause her daughter to feel confined or cornered. "We have all been worried about you since Katooni left the Order." Ahsoka closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get the words together in her head before speaking. Despite knowing she can trust her parents, Ahsoka has become accustomed to keeping her thoughts to herself and she can hide her thoughts behind her Mandalorian Iron wall, which is her Force Shield. No Jedi in the Order, even Grand Master Yoda can break through it, if anyone wants to read her mind, they have to ask her permission to lower her shields first. The Council have never seen shields that powerful, there's never been records of such shields, but it was because of what she went through. Ahsoka didn't want anyone, any Force user to see how broken she actually is, the shield is to protect herself and others, if they saw… they would only take pity on her and did not want anyone's pity. It was just… easier to hide things within her mind, bury them, there are things, so many things she has kept from her parents and Kaeden. The execution of Order Thirty-seven weighs heavily on her mind, it haunts her day and night, The Voice taunts her about it, it is why she increased her drinking habit, to forget, to drown it out; she had enough. If Ahsoka went further, she could have drank herself to a coma or even death. She might have been better off dead.

"I was afraid." The Jedi General started off, "I was afraid that no one would understand what is going through my head. I started drinking because… I wanted to forget the thought that Katooni abandoned me." Then she finished mentally: _"I also want to forget what I have done."_ ,

"‘Soka, why would you think that?" Kaeden questioned, sounding very concerned. Ahsoka's struggles with abandonment was always an issue, she not only struggles with it, she fears it and it is with good reason. Her biological parents abandoned her, her tribe abandoned her and left the Togruta to survive or die as an outcast on Shili's cruel plains, where she could be an Akul's easy meal. While Ahsoka was off world in the Outer Rim, Anakin was given time off, so Kaeden decided to spend time with her in-laws. Kaeden gently broached the topic about her wife's biological parents and she never forgot the look of fury and anger in both Padmé's and Anakin's eyes. They told her Tano's real parents are named Azure Tano, a powerful Chief of The Abayeshta Tribe and his wife Maya Ti-Tano. Anakin revealed that she is Master Shaak Ti's sister, which almost gave Kaeden a heart attack because that makes her Ahsoka's aunt, she did understand the reason why Master Jedi Shaak wanted to hide that fact from Ahsoka. Kaeden Larte-Tano herself though, was angry at her wife's parents for abandoning her over their stupid views of Force sensitives, they have left permanent scars on her wife.

"I understand how much you care about her, she left because of her shaken faith in the Jedi Order and I must admit, the Republic. You can't be angry at her for that. She is just following her own path, soul searching. Remember what Master Plo said: Katooni will find her way back to you." Padmé added,

"The Voice told me otherwise. Maybe it is right, Katooni was the first, when are all of you going to leave me?" Both Kaeden and Padmé gasped at such a reply. Neither of them have any notion of abandoning Ahsoka, they would never leave her! Especially Anakin, he cares about her too much. What is this… The Voice she mentioned? Padmé began to worry that her daughter could be hearing things in her head, which obviously indicates a not good mental health. She is going to have to put her foot down to convince her daughter, because she loves her, Ahsoka needs to see a counsellor, a psychiatrist or if she's willing, visit the temple Mind Healers. From what she can gather between an indication that her Little Akul is hearing voices or a voice in her head and her alcoholism, Ahsoka needs help and support. She needs it fast, but if only her daughter is willing to put aside her stubbornness and pride and accept it. Just when Kaeden was about to ask for more information on The Voice in her wife's head, the door opened again, revealing Anakin and the doctor, a female, overseeing General Tano's recovery.

"I'm glad to see you are awake, Master Jedi Tano. You gave your friends quite a scare." It seems like they lied to the doctors about their connection to each other. Until both herself and Anakin leave the Order, their relationship with Kaeden and Padmé is secret, guess the term close friend was valid enough. "As I explained to Master Jedi Skywalker, Senator Amidala and Miss Larte, you were unconscious due to alcohol poisoning. While most of the alcohol in your blood has broken down, there is still traces in there." The doctor explained, who then identified herself as Doctor Kwan. "It's up to you, but we do have support services you can avail of. I'll leave the leaflets here and I suggest keeping you here for another night of observation, then you can be discharged.",

"Thank you, Doctor Kwan." Padmé smiled. Kwan nodded, leaving the room to attend to other patients. Once the door shut, Ahsoka was eyeing the leaflets, but the problem is… she has to speak to a complete stranger about her past, a stranger she can't trust. It has always been easier to bury her problems, Tano finds it uncomfortable to open up to someone she doesn't know. Her parents and her wife give her the space and time to come to them to talk when she's ready. If she does also tell them about Fest, Tano will have to face trial for committing a war crime: the genocide of innocent people for one fugitive, it will sentence her to prison for life or for a good few years. There's a reason the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, her friend, has locked up her mission report behind the highest security levels The GAR has in place; it is for not only for the protection of the people and the Republic, but herself. If the use of Clone Protocol Thirty-seven is revealed, what will her parents and wife think of her? How will the perceive her? What will Katooni think? They'll call her a monster.

 ** _"You already are a monster."_** The Voice sneered, **_"Born to be one, destined to be one and you will cleanse the galaxy of its impurity by fire."_** Forgetting that her loved ones are in the room, Ahsoka shut her eyes, clutching her head and shouting:

"Just shut up!" Her outcry frightened Kaeden and Padmé, as they leapt back from her, while Anakin was in a state of shock. It seems… his daughter has more problems that she let them believe. His Snips needs to get help.

"Ahsoka," Padmé said softly, "What was that about?",

"The Voice, tormenting me again. It's been inside my head for three years now, since I slaughtered those pirates." Knight Tano didn't realise she revealed that so absentmindedly, she forgot only Kaeden knows of her little massacre, not her parents. Oh Force, what are they going to say to her? Anakin's eyes widened in realisation. His daughter's situation is more serious than he thought, the Council will definitely expel her if they do find out about this.

"What the kriff, Ahsoka!? Are you basically saying you touched the Dark Side? Do you realise how dangerous that is? What it can do to you?" Unable to hear this information, Kaeden got up from her seat to get some air. She forgave her wife for killing the pirate gang, but touching the Dark Side as a Jedi, this is something she could not comprehend. Has the Dark Side already began corrupting her wife? Is it too late to help her? Her movement caused Ahsoka to react, as she stretched out her hand, her worse fears are coming true.

"Kaeden!" She didn't listen, as the door slammed shut. Kaeden is leaving her, Ahsoka has nothing now, her one reason to keep going. Their marriage is collapsing because of her. Ahsoka is losing everything, which is what she feared the most, then Anakin and Padmé will cut her off. Everyone will see her as a monster, who destroys everything that she touches. It seems like her tribe are right in the end, she is a curse, a bringer or harbinger of doom.

"Let me talk to her, Little Akul." Padmé then left the room, to chase after a shocked and hurt Kaeden, leaving only herself and her father as he paced the room. He's gone Jedi or General mode. Anakin knows he has to act fast if he wants to help his daughter, first, he has to get her to stop using the Dark Side; as a Jedi, it is not something she just use at her beck and call. Thinking about it, being a Jedi isn't right for Ahsoka, just like it does not feel right for him, they are both emotional, they have attachments. Perhaps they are raised and taught in the wrong Order of the Force, maybe they should have been taught by Force users such as the Jensaarai or the Grey Jedi. If they walk away now, they could reestablish an old Order, the Je'daii Order, an ancient group of Force sensitives they taught what should be the true meaning of balance. The old Order was set up on the planet of Tython, a planet that is surrounded by two moons named Ashla (The Light) and Bogan (The Dark). Tython was the centre of balance between Ashla and Bogan, what normally happens if you step too far on either side, you are banished to one of the moons until you realign your balance. That should be the true meaning of the Force, an unexplainable energy that should not be separate. Where and what time period caused Force sensitives to split the Force into two extreme spectrums? Who actually came first? These sort of questions always piqued Ahsoka's curiosity, which also leads her to bashing heads with certain members of the Order, particularly the Head Archivist Jocasta Nu and Grand Master Yoda. Some of the conservative Jedi never liked Ahsoka, perhaps feared her even, feared her open mindedness. The Jedi Order fears change, it will never grow if it doesn't learn to change its ways. Knight Tano now expected her father to yell at her or chastise her, scorn her for the wrong decisions she made, instead, he just sat on the bedside and put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way. She refused to look at her dad in the eye, she just couldn't out of shame, Ahsoka brought nothing but shame to him and Padmé. They should never have adopted her.

"‘Soka, please, don't push us away. Let us help you, let Kaeden help you.",

"She's leaving me and it's all my fault. You should have left me to those slave traders." His daughter said to him, making Anakin clench his fist. He did not spend three standard days of his time, on an off world mission that was originally meant to take one and Ahsoka would rather spend her life as a slave fighter!? A gladiator!? The rest of her life in a cruel fighting arena, to fight others to the death for sport!? So others can get the thrill of it and earn easy cash?

"Don't you kriffing dare think like that, Snips! Sure, you carry emotional baggage, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Ahsoka, you are the best thing that happened to myself and Padmé, neither of us had second thoughts of signing those adoption papers." He put his other hand on her left shoulder. "I don't have to use our Force bond to know you are hurting, you are my daughter. Please Ahsoka, let us help you.",

"But Kaeden-" Tano stuttered or hesitated for a second,

"Let her cool off. Padmé is speaking to her, she is not leaving you, I promise. None of us will leave you and Katooni will come back when she's ready." Before Anakin could count to five, his daughter wrapped her arms around him, he did the same, his fatherly instincts kicking in and he let her cry into his shoulder. While father and daughter held each other, the door quietly opened, as Padmé and Kaeden stepped in silently, not wanting to disturb the moment. Everyone in the room knew Ahsoka was willing to take the steps to get better, starting with the alcoholism.

_ Three Months Later… _

_ Afternoon… _

_ Time: 1730 (17:30; Coruscanti Time)… _

( _Scene: Clone Barracks, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

It's been three months since General Tano was discharged from hospital. She was out of action under personal reasons and The 332nd were adamant on staying grounded until their General was fit for duty. The entire battalion stood their ground that they did not want to be put under the lead of another General or Jedi General until Tano returned, or it was General Kenobi or Skywalker, but return she did and she was lot better than she was before. She was healthier and happier, maybe still rough around the edges, but in a much better place now. Tano even gained some weight back, her men really were worried about her. Tano was inside the barracks running supply checks before they are called out for another campaign, that was until her comlink went off. Anakin was beside her as she answered, it was Captain Slip on the other side and he seemed pretty excited for some reason. He was urging her to head for the command centre urgently. Taking his word seriously, Ahsoka hung up and quickly made her way to his location with Anakin in tow. It took them both ten minutes to reach the command centre, the door opened with a hiss. She spoke to Slip as she entered.

"Alright, Slip." She drawled, "What's so important that you had me-" Ahsoka stopped mid sentence as she gazed upon the hologram. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Anakin, who was standing behind her, was giving her his signature smirk, but was happy to see her again looking so well. Former Padawan Katooni saw her old Master, turning around to face her, as Slip smiled, his Jaig Eyes Phase Two helmet under his arm. He seemed really happy to see his old Commander. Katooni crossed her arms, as she stared at Ahsoka.

" _Hello Master. It's been a while."_ Then her face softened and she smiled. _"I missed you, Stripes."_ ,

"What makes you think I missed you, Kitty Kat?" Ahsoka fell back to her default snippy tone when it came to her old Padawan. The flare of their bond is still there, it was just dormant, sleeping, waiting to be reawakened. General Skywalker had to fake a cough to stop himself from laughing, even after a year has passed, the dynamic between his daughter and former Grand Padawan never changed or even went away.

 _"I'm amazed you're still here without me being your impulse control."_ That statement caused Slip and Anakin to burst into laughter as Ahsoka choked on air. Once the banter calmed, everyone got serious again. General Tano turned her gaze when she finally noticed Katooni was not alone, beside her was a Mandalorian with a symbol on his or her head. What is Katoon doing with a Mandalorian? It wasn't just any Mandalorian, Ahsoka is familiar with Death Watch and this Mandalorian Warrior is a subgroup: The Nite Owl elite.

"Are you on Mandalore!? What the kriff are you doing with member of Death Watch!? The same group who tried and almost succeeded in killing you and Senator Bonteri!? You have twenty seconds, young lady!" The unnamed Mandalorian took offence to Ahsoka's words as she ripped off her helmet, revealing the warrior is a female. Katooni tried not to sigh over Ahsoka's habit of jumping the blaster.

 _"Hey! Watch your tongue, Jetii. The Nite Owl elite have broken away from Death Watch because of Maul and his Shadow Collective. He's making a mess of Mandalore! Look, Katooni said we can rely on you to help, don't break her word, vod."_ With nothing else to do but sigh, Ahsoka had to fight rolling her eyes. Whatever mess Maul is making on Mandalore, Katooni and her new friends must be desperate if they are asking for help from the Republic after they decided to stay neutral during most of the war.

"Me'copaani?" Ahsoka asked in perfect Mando'a, which took the Mandalorian by surprise. It made Katooni chuckle herself.

 _"Relax, Bo-Katan. Ahsoka is fluent in Mando'a because she is very close to her battalion."_ Explained the Tholothian. The Mandalorian now identified as Bo-Katan loosened up, she is surprised that Ahsoka is able to speak perfect Mando'a, she thought the Jetii Obi-wan knows their language fluently. Katooni spoke again. _"We need aid from the Republic. While myself and Bo-Katan have a few hundred Mandalorian Warriors who separated from Death Watch, we are still outnumbered. Please Ahsoka, Maul is doing more harm than good to Mandalore."_ ,

"You can count on me, Katooni. I'll gather up my forces, Obi-wan might be willing join in too. Give me some time, we will bring you military aid." She turned to Bo-Katan, "Look after her, vod." Bo-Katan nodded, smacking her right arm against her armour. A sign that she will uphold her promise. "May the Force be with you, always.",

 _"And with you too, Ahsoka."_ And the transmission cut. Once again, Ahsoka felt so much lighter now that she finally saw Katooni again and knowing she is alright.

_ Two Weeks Later… _

_ Time: 0820 (08:20; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Morning… _

Canon: _Pre-Siege of Mandalore & Battle of Coruscant; Star Wars: The Clone Wars/Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Clearing, Outside Capitol - Sundari, Mandalore, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

 _The Hunter_ stayed hovering over the atmosphere, along with _The Negotiator_ and _The Resolute_. Several Low Altitude Assault Transport/Infantry (LAAT/i) ships came down, carrying infantry troops, ammunition, artillery and many All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) Walkers, all to aid the siege on Mandalore's capitol. For Ahsoka, she has a few surprises for Katooni, two really. One of which are the pair of lightsabers she attached to her belt, next to her other ones. General Tano felt the ship land, the side doors opening, outside was Katooni speaking to Bo-Katan. Ahsoka could not get over how much Katooni had grown now and matured, she did all that without her, the Togruta internally admits, she is proud of her. There is no way Ahsoka could hate Katooni, it was her anger talking, her inability to deal with attachment and abandonment. There have been a number of times The Voice has tried to agitate her, though time and time again, Ahsoka has learned to ignore it, to push it away; The Voice does nothing but mentally break her down and tire her. Sometimes she has been tempted to pick up a bottle of whiskey, yet Kaeden and her parents have been there to support her recovery and she has been going to her scheduled appointments with her counsellor. While it was difficult, Tano learned that her counsellor wants to help her, the rest of the sessions since then have been easier, except she still hides the horrors of Order Thirty-seven. Taking her attention away from Bo-Katan, Katooni gaze fell upon her former Master, whom she saw as her best friend, her sister. Feeling like the fourteen year old who met her Master for the first time on Christophsis, Katooni sprinted towards Ahsoka, who did the same and the two collided with each other, so hard they could have fallen to the ground, yet they didn't. The former Master and Padawan held onto each other, giving one another a long, overdue hug and Ahsoka loathed to let go of her Padawan.

"I heard about your… addiction." Katooni choked, tears falling down her cheeks. She really did miss Ahsoka, she missed the boys of The 332nd Battalion. Anakin filled her in briefly about her Master's struggles and felt guilty for some of them. She should have been there for her. "I'm so sorry. I should never have left you.",

"Katooni, you have nothing to be sorry for. It was my inability to let you go and in fact, I'm proud of how far you have come, without the Order, without me." Ahsoka broke away from the hug to look at Katooni, face to face. Her former Padawan is still shorter than her, but she certainly has grown, in more ways than one. "Before you reunite with the boys, I want to give something back to you. You might find them useful against Maul." Reaching down for her belt clips underneath her black cloak, Katooni still never asked Ahsoka how she got away with wearing a cloak that colour. It's the colour of the Sith. Most of the Jedi primarily wear dark brown. Grasping the lightsaber hilts, Ahsoka revealed them to Katooni, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, she thought she lost them forever after being on the run. Ahsoka must have spent a fair bit of time looking for them.

"My lightsabers!" She happily took them from the Togruta, happily feeling the familiar grip of her weapons, the sabre and the shoto. Katooni decided to learn Jar'Kai around the middle of 21 BBY and her Master was more than glad to teach her.

"I gave them a clean too, fixed a few things here and there. They're good as new." Ahsoka smiled. Katooni pressed the ignition button on the hilts, hoping to see the blue blades once again. Instead, the sabres were green, both of them. Katooni raised an awkward eyebrow, but she smiled. Classic Ahsoka, who is now looking happily smug, her arms crossed over her chest now void of armour. It seems the Jedi are starting to return to their peacekeeping roots. "Maybe even better." Turning them off, the Tholothian put the sabres away, clipping them to her waist, well… she is not going to complain about the colour change of her Kyber Crystals, leave it to Tano to be that little bit extra. Eagerly wanting to see the boys again, Ahsoka gestured to Katooni to follow her back onto the LAAT/i as Obi-wan and Anakin discuss with Bo-Katan about assaulting Maul in the city of Sundari.

_ Sometime Later… _

_ Time: 0850 (08:50; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Morning… _

( _Scene: The Hunter, Orbiting Mandalore, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Walking the familiar corridors of _The Hunter_ , good memories of the time spent with the men was flooding Katooni's mind. Some of the boys passing by were saluting her still! Even Admiral Skylar! Ahsoka was still smirking, she knew that Katooni leaving did not affect her standing with her battalion, they will always respect her, no matter what. Katooni made a point that they should not be saluting her, she's no longer their Commanding Officer, that role has been passed on to Edge (CT-11-7387) who was the Sergeant of the battalion and Akul Squadron. Katooni is unsure if he was happy with the promotion or not. Another few corridors, Ahsoka led her old Padawan to where the men usually gather if another General is boarding the ship, this was the hangar bay. The door slid open, showing Captain Slip standing before them, on either side were several rows of the battalion, but something was different, their armour was the same, but it was the helmets. They repainted them. Slip was actually smiling at her, happy to see Katooni again, he hardly changed, his dark black hair tied back tightly in a bun; he was quick to fall back into Captain mode as he commanded:

"Company, attention!" The men moved in perfect synchronisation, not a sound out of place as they moved positions, Slip standing to the side and his back straight. Katooni walked ahead of Ahsoka, examining the battalion, they painted the helmets the same colour as her headdress, even though she no longer wears it. She is too recognisable with it, so her brown hair is out on full show, neatly tied back in a ponytail. Stopping by Slip, she ran her hand over his helmet, six turquoise lines were painted outwards, most likely to represent her headdress. "The painting is a little crude, but it gets the message across." Katooni looked to Ahsoka,

"You did all this?",

"This is your battalion, Katooni, made up of half of my own. From me, I give you the unofficial 3rd Ranger Battalion." Ahsoka introduced, leaving Katooni awestruck. Her own battalion to lead, so that means… "You are their General and I have decided under Slip's recommendation that there is no one better to be your Commanding Officer, but him. You will also have ARC Trooper Bomber (CT/ARC-1629) as your Sergeant. He's your problem now, Kitty Kat.",

"Hey!" Bomber exclaimed, as the entire unofficial battalion burst into laughter over the jest. Some of them wish though… Deadshot (CT-9350) and Jester (CT-4984) were here. Deadshot died after undergoing a surgical examination after his inhibitor chip, which turned out to be a biochip malfunctioned, it resulted in the death of General Tiplar, General Tiplee's twin. Jester then, went digging into it and what he dug out was practically a conspiracy, he attempted to assassinate the Chancellor and everything went out of control. Tano was forced to hunt down one of her own men, the only people who believed him about the biochips, the conspiracy involving the Chancellor to use his brothers to kill the Jedi using a Clone Protocol Sixty-six. The only brothers who believed him were Slip, Bomber and Captain Rex (CT-7567). Commander Wolffe (CC-3636) was warned, but he didn't believe them. Commander Fox (CC-1010) ended up shooting him dead. After the introduction of her battalion, the boys begun welcoming Command- General Katooni back, saying how much they missed her.

_ Night… _

_ Time: 2100 (21:00; Coruscanti Time)… _

( _Scene: Republic Camp, Clearing, Outside Capitol - Sundari, Mandalore, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Ahsoka decided to sit away from the group a bit, as they laughed and ate together. Some of the men of The 212th Attack Battalion, The 501st Legion and her own talked and played games with the Mandalorians. Even though the Republic army are Clones, they are respected as Mandalorians, because they are by blood and it is in their genes, because of the famous Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Jango Fett. While Tano does not like Death Watch, she respects the true Mandalorians for their prowess in combat and their fighting abilities, it is why they are feared bounty hunters and skilled Jedi Hunters. Although… as much as Revan's motives were for a good cause, by involving himself in The Mandalorian War, it caused a long standing rift with them and the Jedi. Tano just needed some space from the others, just a little breather, she laid on her back on the ground, watching the stars in the night sky, it was something she used to do back on Shili when she was an outcast; staring at the stars gave her a sense of peace. It is something that Kaeden complains about on Coruscant, which is why she cannot wait to complete her apprenticeship and open the repair shop on Raada, she can't see the stars on Coruscant, light pollution, too many lights. Ahsoka on the other hand can't wait for that to happen, once the war is over, she can leave the Jedi Order and move to Raada with her wife to help with the shop. Anakin and Padmé will move back to Naboo, the senator revealed she is actually pregnant and Tano could not wait for that either, she is going to be an older sister, someone to look up to and Kaeden will be an aunt. It makes herself and Anakin even more determined to end the war, they don't the child to grow up in the middle of war.

"Do you mind if I join?" Sitting up and turning, Ahsoka's eyes fell on Katooni, who moved away from the group too for a bit. "Had me concerned for bit when you moved away from us.",

"I'm not isolating myself, if that is what you are thinking. I just needed breathing space and… I love watching the stars." Two minutes of silence passed between them. "Tell me Katooni, before you walked down those steps, when I told you I understood about wanting to leave the Order and you said-",

"I know." The Tholothian finished for her, "What are you getting at?",

"Did you know I was… close to Kaeden?",

"The fact that you were married to her?" The revelation that she knew all this time surprised Ahsoka and the reaction made Katooni laugh a little. "Ahsoka, you're like Anakin. You couldn't be subtle to save your shebs. Now that I'm right, I have to collect some bets later. Yes, I know about Anakin and Padmé too, you guys are the worst for subtlety.",

"Thank you, for keeping it secret. For not outing myself or Anakin. Thank you for… not being like the other Jedi." Ahsoka really meant her words, she couldn't have asked for a better Padawan, who grew up into a fine, young woman and no doubt has wised up as well.

"I could never out you to the Council or Anakin. I saw how happy Kaeden and Padmé make you both, you two are proof that the Code is wrong and outdated. If either of you ever sit on the Council, you would both make a huge difference." Katooni was being earnest with her words, she sees why Ahsoka and Anakin always clashed with the Jedi Code, there are sections that should be revised or lifted. Once controlled, attachment or emotion will not lead someone to the Dark Side, it is all about control. Anakin and Ahsoka are the right people to introduce such changes, if the other members of the Order are willing to concede. The Jedi Order needs to change if it wants to live on for the next generation and generations to come. That was also when the thought of the Chancellor came to Katooni's mind, she only met him the rare few times and he interacts well with Ahsoka. She did say he was a friend, but something about him did not run off Katooni too well, it was like he was masking something, hiding his true intentions or who he really is. Admittedly, she did not like the fact Ahsoka was close to him, there was something not right about him. Willing to take a risk, she probed her thoughts to the Togruta. "Ahsoka?" Her response was met a ' _hm_ '? "There's about the Supreme Chancellor I want to tell you about.",

"Alright." Good, she was willing to listen,

"I don't trust him. There's something not right, it's like he is hiding something and… it's a gut feeling, the Force also feels unusually heavy in the Senate building. What I'm trying to say is… be careful around him, Ahsoka." Said Katooni, "Don't always believe what he says, don't always take his words to heart and always remember: there are people who genuinely care about you and will never abandon you.",

"It's a difficult to thing to hear about my friend but… I will heed your warning, Katooni. Thank you." That is something. Ahsoka will take her warning on board, she hasn't shot down her assumptions.

_ Seven Months Later… _

_ 1089th Day of The Clone Wars… _

_ Time: 1950 (19:50; Coruscanti Time) _

_ Night… _

Canon: _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

They couldn't believe it, the war is over, well, almost over. Once Katooni and her men with help from Obi-wan and his battalion end the siege on Mandalore, either arresting or killing Maul, it is finally over. Anakin has been deployed to Utapau to capture or kill the leader of the Separatist Droid Army General Grevious, it resulted in his death in the end. More shocking revelations have been unfolded, it turned out the Supreme Chancellor was the Sith Lord the Jedi have spent years looking for, Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious, the former Apprentice of Darth Plageuis the Wise. Ahsoka sat in the sitting room with her wife, who was crying happy tears that she is alright, Katooni was right about the Chancellor and Ahsoka was so close to falling because of Palpatine's manipulations over her, he used her. She couldn't believe it, Tano trusted him for so long and he just used her for his own end, he was attempting to turn her to the Dark Side, that is why he made her kill Count Dooku (Darth Tyrannus) on Grevious' ship _The Invisible Hand_. His capture was actually staged, Palpatine played the war on both sides, he orchestrated the whole thing. The war they fought, where so many Clones and Jedi died, it was a needless conflict, the entire galaxy had been fooled. When Ahsoka went to confront the Chancellor, Master Windu was engaged with him in combat, she was standing at the crossroads, a heavy choice, when she was suffering from Force Visions of seeing Kaeden die. Palpatine… Sidious… he promised her the power to protect Kaeden, attempted to fool her that the Jedi, along with her parents were secretly planning to kill her wife. Thinking more on Katooni's words, she was right, therefore, Ahsoka raised her sabre against Sidious and killed him, a clean stab to his heart. After that, she knew at that moment, her time with the Jedi was over and so, much to a surprised Mace Windu, she handed her lightsabers to him and walked away from it all. The Republic is now rebuilding, Anakin has turned in his lightsaber too, to be with Padmé after she gave birth to twins! A boy named Luke and a girl they called Leia. Luke and Leia Skywalker, they beautiful names. Padmé was elected Supreme Chancellor, she announced the war was over and peace talks will go underway for a smooth and peaceful coexistence of The Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) and The Galactic Republic. The corrupt Separatists were found on Mustafar and arrested, they are to face trial shortly.

After everything that has happened, Ahsoka couldn't believe she could have sent the entire Republic crumbling. If she had not heeded Katooni's warning, Ahsoka would have fallen for Palpatine's lies, fallen to the Dark Side and ended the Jedi Order, everything. The Force Vision she had was actually trying to warn her that in her insanity for fully delving into the Dark Side, she would have ended up killing Kaeden, her own wife and that horrified her. However, it's over. It's over now, except for one thing weighing on Tano's mind: Order Thirty-seven, the Republic needs to know and she deserves to stand trial for committing genocide, a serious war crime. It might have her locked up for some time, Kaeden will not like it, but the people of the Republic need to know what happened on Fest.

"Kaeden?" Ahsoka spoke, prompting her wife to sit up. "I… the people of the Republic deserve to know what happened on Fest, it's something I'm not proud of.",

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. For better, for worse." A gentle hand placed on her's a sign of comfort. Well then, here goes nothing.

"Palpatine, before all this, he sent me and my battalion to destroy a research base and arrest a scientist. He was wanted." Ahsoka started off, as Kaeden listened intently. "The people would not cooperate, so when I got in contact with the Supreme Chancellor, he gave me the authority to execute Order Thirty-seven. To spare the details, it was literally genocide." Tears rolled down her cheeks as the sounds of the people screaming and begging for mercy flew through her head. Such horror she has committed, Force, she executed Niner (CT-17-9999) because he refused to follow her orders to shoot the women and he was right to do so. "The troops may have been following my orders, but I decimated an entire town of ten-thousand for one life. I killed them all! The men, the women, the pregnant, babies and the children. Palpatine used this order because he knew I would do what needs to be done, it was to further bring me closer to the Dark Side.",

"Ahsoka-" Kaeden was lost for words, her wife committed a serious crime but it was through no fault of her own. First, she was following orders, but second, Palpatine was manipulating her, he was using her to bring her wife closer to him. She almost lost her wife because of him!

"The people of the Republic deserve to know the truth. Padmé will have access to my mission report. Kaeden, this will mean I will have to stand trial and I could be locked up for years, even for life. If that happens, if I am sentenced for life, Force, even execution, promise me you will move on.",

"Yet, if it is none of those and you have to serve a certain number of years, I will wait for you. Regardless of what happens, I love you and I am so glad, I did not lose you to Darth Sidious." And the two held other in a comforting embrace.

_ Twenty-three Years Later… _

_ Year: 4 ABY… _

_ Time: 1300 (13:00; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Afternoon… _

( _Scene: Larte-Tano Mechanics, Raada, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

It is hard to believe twenty-three years have come and go, so much has happened in that time. Peace talks between The CIS and The Republic had gone smoothly, aside from the odd protest or assassination attempts, but an agreement was made. Now, there is a fair trade deal between the two powers. Senator Lux Bonteri has become an ambassador or a favoured representative of The CIS to ensure peace is maintained on their side and keep relations with The Republic stable. Anakin was often at home raising the children, but Padmé always find time. The most difficult moment in their lives was putting her own daughter on trial for the execution of Order Thirty-seven on the planet of Fest in the Outer Rim. She read Ahsoka's mission report that was locked behind the highest security levels, her mother actually broke down crying in her office and she was given little choice because her daughter was adamant to face punishment for her war crime, for committing genocide. It was understandable at the same time despite heavy protests from Anakin and Katooni, when she returned from Mandalore, Ahsoka wanted to lay her demons for seeing through that order to rest. Her trial was high profile, most senators wanted to imprison her for life, others give her a fixed sentence, then there were some who wanted her executed; words primarily from the Separatist side as the people were supporters. Her trial almost shook the hard earned relations between the two powers, eventually a middle ground was met. Tano was sentenced to spend nineteen years in prison. During that period, as promised, Kaeden waited for her, she returned home to Raada to set up the repair shop after completing and passing her apprenticeship with top marks. With the business doing well, with Anakin's help, he is a freelance mechanic and a pilot, he gave his daughter-in-law free trips to Coruscant to visit her lover while she served her sentence. It was tough, but they got through it. Ahsoka at least got to see her siblings, Luke and Leia, they were so happy when they heard she was being set free after serving her time. Good news is, The Voice no longer taunts or agitate her, to tempt her to do things she will regret. It was hard to ignore it in prison, but the visits from her lover and family gave her the strength to push it down.

Now finally free, Ahsoka was knee deep or… half her body underneath a ship dealing with some loose parts and screws. While four years have passed since her sentence, Ahsoka did have some difficulty adjusting to normal life after being in prison for so long. She does have nightmares of her sentence, but being a full time mechanic is a great distraction from it all. Kaeden and her in-laws rarely or at all, mention Ahsoka's time in prison. In that time too, Kaeden and her lover have followed their dream of starting a family of their own, while it was hard due to Ahsoka's prison sentence, social workers were not easy to persuade; the two of them convinced them enough to let them adopt. They ended up adopting two children, two girls both aged five and six, one is human and the other is a Togruta. Their names are Ashla and Anika, named after Anakin, of all people in the whole galaxy. Their daughters do not know a thing about their mother being in prison, Ahsoka does promise Kaeden she will tell them when they are older. Anakin and Padmé have visited Raada a few times to see their grandchildren, Luke and Leia love coming over as well, even though they are well into their twenties, being twins they share a Life Day and they are both twenty-three years of age. Ahsoka and Kaeden both pushing forty-three now, while Anakin and Padmé get teased for their old age, Anakin is now fifty-four and Padmé is fifty-nine. She is giving up her seat once she reaches sixty-five years. Many of the Clones have now been cured of their accelerated ageing, after pressuring the Kaminoans, they now age normally once they hit ten years, physically they would be twenty. After much debate, Padmé, with many other help from senators have pushed a bill into effect that Clones are to be given citizenship, treated equally as humans, not a subspecies and are seen as freethinking, sentient beings. With Bo-Katan having established herself as Duchess of Mandalore, she has happily given the men a planet to stay and settle on. Despite the challenges, everyone is happy, the galaxy is at peace.

Rolling out from under the ship, revealing a greasy-stained covered Togruta, wearing a blue denim jumpsuit, the sleeves rolled up showing off her still muscled arms and durable, comfortable boots. Ahsoka sat up to drink a bottle of water. She decided to finish for today, Kaeden is closing the shop early because Anakin and Padmé are visiting with Luke and Leia, which made Ashla and Anika jump with glee. Despite not being a Jedi anymore, Ahsoka ended up constructing new lightsabers from scrap metal she has been collecting and made a trip to Ilum. The Jedi Order was not upset by it. She forged her new lightsabers and the colour of the crystals surprised her, they took on a silver-white colour. Luke decided to take on the path of the Jedi, under his father's tutelage while Leia chose politics and she is becoming a fast popular and promising politician. Luke also wants another rematch with her, he still hasn't managed to beat Ahsoka. Anakin jokes that he will be long with the Force by the time Luke achieves that goal. Hearing the garage door, Ahsoka saw Kaeden enter.

"I almost thought for a moment you would never come out of your cave and leaving me to our two terror children." Her voice was very teasing.

"I would come out eventually." Kaeden loved hearing Ahsoka's voice, so smooth and mature. Her wife made a hard choice, deciding to confront her biological parents, with support of Master Shaak Ti, she finally revealed to Ahsoka that she was her aunt. It was a difficult thing to digest, but Ahsoka was filled with joy for finding another relative. While she has not forgiven her parents, she thanks them for letting her find her own family and that family was Anakin and Padmé, also, she has dropped the surname Tano and took Skywalker. She is Ahsoka Skywalker now. Kaeden was eyeing Ahsoka, she always found Ahsoka wearing that work jumpsuit sexy, especially since she rolls the sleeves up. There was a predatory gaze in her wife's eyes, taunting her to approach and approach Kaeden did. Somewhat roughly pushing Ahsoka into the workbench, Kaeden was quick to unbutton Ahsoka's jumpsuit as they fiercely kissed, lowering the denim suit as far as ‘Soka's waist, leaving it sit there; the former Jedi found it a good thing that she was wearing a white tank top underneath. It teased Kaeden, the tank top was form fitting, allowing her cyare's toned stomach and abs to be felt, the outline to be visibly seen. Ahsoka deepened her kiss with Kaeden, running her slender fingers through her lover's thick, brown hair. Pleasured moans emitted from Kaeden's throat as she gently grinder her hips against her wife, in response, Tano was holding her possessively and letting out a predatory growl, which turned Kaeden on even more. She loves seeing that side of her lover, seeing the predator, the hunter. Ahsoka also met Kaeden's sister, getting a well earned slap in the face for hiding their marriage from her, but eventually, Miara warmed up to the Togruta and is happy for them; particularly with everything they went through. Their heated session was suddenly disrupted when someone yelled out:

"WHAT THE FLYING KRIFF!?" Breaking away, before them was a distraught Anakin, Padmé was failing to hold in her laughter while Luke's and Leia's faces were bright red with embarrassment, while covering their little parent's grandchildren's eyes, to save their innocence. "Really, Snips?" Anakin deadpanned,

"It was Kaeden this time." Ahsoka replied in an embarrassed and shaky tone, blushing while Kaeden was not trying to look at her in-laws in the eye. Both were so embarrassed maintaining eye contact was near impossible. It didn't take long though for everyone to break out into laughter, even Luke and his sister Leia, as Ashla and Anika looked innocently confused.

To Ahsoka, she had everything she ever wanted. Everything was perfect.

* * *

_ Reality… _

_ Year: 15 BBY… _

_ Afternoon… _

_ Time: 1630 (16:30; Coruscanti Time)… _

Canon: _Post-Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_

( _Scene: Medical Room, Véurr's Fortress, Mustafar, Outer Rim, Galaxy-38_ )

Darth Véurr awoke from her meditation, finding herself inside the bacta tank that is healing her wounds, her third degree burns that she received after being burned alive and left for dead by Skywalker. Véurr is more a machine than Togruta, the wires and cables attached to where her prosthetics are placed, keep her suspended in the healing substance. The mask covering her mouth allowed her to breathe inside the tank, why is the Force tormenting her with visions of the past and what could have been? If she made one difference of a decision when she was Ahsoka Tano, though she was weak. The Jedi Order and the Republic were corrupt, she and her Master wiped out the corruption at its source. Skywalker and Amidala betrayed her, Kaeden is dead because of them and now Véurr uses the pain of her wife's passing to fuel her anger, her quest for retribution. Véurr will not stop until she has Skywalker's lightsaber. To think those people adopted her, claimed that they loved her, it was all lies in the end. They didn't love her, they only adopted her out of pity, the senator and the Jedi felt sorry for her. In the end, everyone abandoned her and betrayed her, everyone but Kaeden who is now dead. Darth Véurr will not stop her rampage until the entire galaxy, even planets in The Unknown Regions and Wild Space know the full wrath of her rage and anger, to know what happens when you take something she held dear. Darth Véurr will show the entire galaxy what happens when you incite the predator's rage. That was when the Sith Lady's gaze moved, below her was… impossible! Could it be? How?

 _"Kaeden?"_ She thought. Véurr cannot really speak without the voice analyser in her suit. Then her wife turned away, heading for the door. Desperate to chase after her wife, Véurr ordered the medical droids to take her out of the bacta tank and have the suit put on her. The process took twenty minutes, attaching the prosthetic limbs was always painful, near maddening if she hadn't delved into the Dark Side to dampen the pain. Once the suit was on her, Véurr rushed out of the medical room, looking left and right. "Kaeden!" Véurr called out. Silence. "KAEDEN!" Where did she go? The Force, once again is playing tricks on her and she is falling for them. Feeling anger boil through her veins, Darth Véurr took her temper out on equipment in the medical room, sending everything flying, may it be with the Force or slashing everything with her crimson lightsaber. The housekeeper of this mansion, Vanée saw the destruction that his Master's temper was bringing, making a mental note to himself to order new medical equipment. The last thing Vanée heard as he walked away was Lady Véurr roaring out in anger, pure uncontrolled hatred and rage, like a wild and feral animal.

_Fin_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Cyar'ika: Darling/Sweetheart

Jetii: Jedi

Vod: Brother/Sister/Comrade

Me'copaani?: What do you want/What would you like?

Shebs: Ass/Backside

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would be amazed if half of you fellow readers fell for the happy ending. That I suddenly decided to do an AU of AU, finally thought of being nice and let everyone live happily ever after, with a little angst.
> 
> I'm sorry if I smacked you all in the face. If you read the quote twice, that might have dropped a few hints. I'm sorry for breaking your hearts and thinking I had a change of heart. Unfortunately, life is cruel. Feel free to comment abuse at me for the trickery. 
> 
> To clear things up, most of the stuff is actually canon to Galaxy-38, this is basically all the off-page stuff or things I have yet to explore. Stuff that happened in the Chancellor's office and 4 ABY did not happen, that was a dream. Sorry?
> 
> Maybe does the dialogue from The Clone Wars Season 7 trailers make up for it? No? Okay, I'll go hide somewhere and do a Luke Skywalker self-exile before pitchforks are pointed at me.
> 
> The next story arc I have is called Displaced. I have dropped a teaser on my Tumblr account under RangerSlayer-16. Don't know when I'll get it out, but I assure you, I will be working on it.
> 
> Stay tuned!


	11. Displaced Part I (1 BBY & 8 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The World Between Worlds carry more secrets than just revealing the past and future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Part I of the second story arc I have planned. I'm not going to say much other than… it involves a confused, exasperated Togruta, one pissed off Princess/Grey Jedi and one traumatised mechanic that is sick and tired of the Force's shenanigans.
> 
> I also slightly tweaked the exchange between Ahsoka and Ezra compared to the episode that was given. If you think hard, you'd be surprised Ahsoka and Ezra share a similarity when it comes to the attachment of their Masters.
> 
> Enjoy.

_"In those days,_

_I straddled more than a handful of worlds,_

_which is also to say I belonged wholly to none."_

\- Suzanne

* * *

Chapter 11: Displaced - Welcome to Galaxy-38

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Ezra Bridger (Galaxy Prime):

Age: 18 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Lothal; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Orphan, Street rat, Rebel, Spectre Six of The Ghost Crew, Former Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight

****

Ahsoka Tano (Galaxy Prime):

Age: 31 Years

Born: 36 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Padawan, Former Commander of The 501st Legion, Former Unofficial General of The 332nd Battalion, Fulcrum Agent, Grey Jedi

****

Kaeden Larte (Galaxy-38):

Age: 47 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker (Galaxy-38):

Age: 27 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home/Destroyed in 0 BBY/ABY)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

* * *

_ Year: Unknown… _

_ Time: Unknown… _

Canon: _A World Between Worlds; Star Wars: Rebels_

( _Scene: Location Indescribable, World Between Worlds, Jedi Temple, Lothal, Outer Rim, Galaxy Prime_ )

Once he stepped through the portal while his friends guarded it from the other side, Ezra Bridger found himself in a place his mind could not comprehend or even think that would exist. The place he stood in was fascinating, did the Force create this? The young Jedi knew he was standing on solid ground, the path he stood on was pitch black with white outlining the edges. There was so many of them, they seem to go in all directions, then branching out from the main path, appeared to be connecting to some kind of strange portal or a doorway, a gateway even. This gateway was a large triangle with a circle inside it. It was most strange. Having no clue what to do, Ezra decided the best course of action: just walk forward, along a path, any path and hope for the best. Thinking about it now, the eighteen-year-old had no idea what he was doing, having no guidance, he was completely at a loss, as he helplessly called out for anyone; anyone being Grand Master Yoda, Kanan… just anyone to help guide him. As he walked the path, he could hear voices, some he couldn't recognise, others he did, then some he does recognise but are things the people he knows have never said. While he crossed the path he chose, the voices Ezra was hearing became clearer.

 ** _"Your father was a good friend of mine."_** That sounded like Obi-wan, whom he met back on Tatooine.

 ** _"Do or do not. There is no try."_** Yoda,

 ** _"You were my daughter, Ahsoka. I loved you."_** Was that… Anakin Skywalker? Ahsoka's old Master from the days of The Clone Wars? What did his words mean? Since when did Ahsoka ever mention Anakin referring to her as a daughter? He knows she was close to Anakin, he was more than her Master.

 ** _"Company, attention!"_** Another voice Ezra could not place. It sounded like Rex (CT-7567), but unlike Rex, there was a slight roughness to his voice. Is that a Clone Ezra never met? Walking in more, it felt like hours passed as he trekked aimlessly, but it must be minutes only, perhaps time means nothing here. The Lothian was about to turn left coming to a T-junction but was suddenly stopped when a soft hooting sound was heard above him. Looking up, it was that strange, round, chubby little bird, a Convor! It had a long wispy tail, unusual colour, white that seemed to lean towards cream and pastel green. Ezra quickly figured he has seen that bird from somewhere and began talking to it.

"Hey, you're that bird that appears whenever Ahsoka was around." The bird chirped in response. "How did you get in here?" Concentrating a little more, to Ezra's surprise, the Force gently swirled around this bird. Is this bird somehow connected to The Daughter he has seen on the mural of The Father and The Son? They are known as The Ones or The Mortis Overlords, a physical representation of The Light, The Dark and The Middle. Is the Convor here to help guide him around this mysterious place? Next, the Convor began to take flight, flying somewhere, it prompted Ezra to follow it, so he ran not too far behind. After a few minutes, the Convor landed on a portal above, what was special about this portal? Staring through the circle, Ezra's eyes widened, it was Ahsoka Tano, a Fulcrum agent of the Rebel Alliance, the original Fulcrum; she was duelling Darth Vader inside Malachor. She made him and Kanan leave, from what he can see, Ahsoka is losing to Vader's sheer strength. The Convor above him began to hop and chirp in a frantic manner. "What!? What do you want me to do!?" Looking back, Ahsoka managed to push Vader back with a Force Push, allowing enough space so she can slam her white-bladed lightsabers into the floor, causing cracks to arise under Vader's feet. The floor did not give way to what she had hoped, so the Dark Lord used that chance to swing the killing blow. Not wanting her to die, Ezra was driven by instinct. "AHSOKA!" Reaching out, Ezra's hand went through the portal, he felt the Togruta's shoulder, holding it tightly and pulled her away. With the sound of something like glass breaking, Ezra fell to the ground along with Ahsoka. He groaned out loud, as they pulled themselves up.

Her body hurt, it was tired after being pushed to its limit. Standing up, her blue eyes fell on someone familiar: Ezra Bridger, but he looks different. He was taller, his navy-blue hair was all cut up, looking into his eyes, Ezra has seen a lot of trauma. What happened during her absence?

"Ezra?" She said. Turning her attention away, Ahsoka examined her surroundings, looking equally confused. There was too much to process for her brain. "What is this place? How did you-",

"I- I'm not sure." He replied, "I saw you fighting Vader, he was about to kill and- I just reached in and pulled you out." The explanation was the best he could give, however, Ahsoka seemed sceptical. Well, she will take what she can get and the Force does work in mysterious ways. Then her eyes saddened upon the mention of Vader… her Master…

"Anakin." She couldn't save him, he would not come back, not for her. It seems… a part of her vision on Lothal was right, she did abandon Anakin, maybe she should have stayed in the Jedi Order. Though she would stay for Anakin, not the Jedi, if she stayed, perhaps Anakin would not have fallen. She was his anchor, his emotional crutch. Ahsoka left Anakin because she was selfish, she left because of her shaken faith with the Republic, the Jedi. A part of Anakin inside Darth Vader resented her for her decision if only she could turn back the clock. She longed to be in the arms of the man she looked up to as a brother, a father-figure. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ahsoka suddenly turned to chase after Ezra as he ran to another portal. _"What are doing now?"_ She mentally asked. It quickly clicked that the boy was going to do something similar to what he did with her. If Ezra could pull Ahsoka out, saving her, then he can save someone he has lost, he can save Kanan Jarrus, Hera will have her lover back. The Ghost Crew will be whole again. Ahsoka called out to Ezra, he's messing with something neither of them fully understand, he is messing with the very core of Space-Time itself. "Ezra! Wait! You don't know what you are doing!" They skidded to a halt, the portal that showed a blind Kanan holding back the intense jet of fire that exploded from the fuel depot, the fire that took his life. It didn't take Ahsoka long to know Kanan had died a while back, sacrificing his life to save his friends. It appears… time has rules, some points can be changed, others… are cruelly set in stone, this is Kanan's case, he is meant to sacrifice himself, there is no way to change that. Thinking about it, it could be the same with Anakin, if she stayed, he would still fall and Ahsoka might have died in the temple during _Operation Knightfall,_ there was a reason she left.

"I can save him!" Ezra suddenly said, very eager. "I can reach out, just like I did with you!",

"Ezra, think about this!" The Togruta cautioned, "If you pull Kanan out, you all die. Please think! You are messing with Space-Time itself, we can't afford to trigger a paradox!",

"You don't understand, Ahsoka!" Ezra snapped, "You and I, we're not the same!" Surprisingly, Ahsoka's patience ticked, only a little. How dare he says she doesn't understand! The two of them are more alike than he thinks, sure, she wasn't fully open with him about her past, but by Sith Hell, she knows what he is going through. Ahsoka grabbed Ezra by the shoulder, she glared her sapphire-blue eyes into his. He almost wet himself when Tano bared her sharp canines.

"By kriffing hell I understand! I understand, more than anyone! I understand what you are going through, what you are feeling." Her words felt like sawdust, they were similar words Anakin told her when she was about to leave the Order. She knew her Master was married to Senator Padmé Amidala, another person she looked up to as a political mentor, a sister and a mother-figure. She almost laughed at the thought of seeing them as parents, they were her parental figures. "Ezra, I couldn't save my Master, no one could, not even changing his fate in any part of the time stream could save him." The younger Jedi spared a glance as Kanan, the person he looked up to as a brother, still holding back the flames, then turned back to Ahsoka. "I know how you feel, I want my Master back as much as you want yours. I saw Anakin as a brother and father-figure, Kanan was like your brother." Feeling tears well up, she let go of Ezra to wipe them away, "But we have to let them go. It's time to stop clinging to the past." Ezra looked at Kanan one more time, processing Ahsoka's words and he realised… they are alike, both of them were attached to their Masters, saw them as more than Masters. She's right, Kanan's sacrifice was set in stone, same is said for Anakin's fall, there is nothing they can change in the Space-Time Continuum to save them, not without causing a dangerous time paradox. A paradox the Force would not want to deal with, the Force must have rules for a reason. Force-sensitives cannot go around playing God. Kanan deserves to be reunited with his Master Depa Billaba in the Force. Ezra must let him rest.

"Goodbye Kanan." They turned away as the scene that haunted Ezra's memories played out as is. Kanan gave up his life to save him, Sabine and Hera. It is time to move on, but he will be remembered. That was when Ezra almost forgot someone, all he saw was a flash of green fly past him, landing on Ahsoka's arm. "I almost forgot about you. This Convor helped lead me to you.",

"I see you got acquainted with Morai then." She said, stroking the bird as it playfully nipped her hand with its beak. Ezra gave her a confused stare. Morai? The Convor has a name? "She's a friend of mine. I wouldn't be around it weren't for her." While he would like to learn more, Ezra decided it was best if they get out of here, fast. The rest of Ghost Crew, Rex especially, will be so glad to see Ahsoka again. As they made their way back, they stopped abruptly when laughter was heard. A burst of laughter that chilled their spine.

"Ezra Bridger and Ahsoka Tano." It was Emperor Palpatine or going by his real name: Darth Sidious. The Master of Darth Vader. "You are mine!" He began to cite some kind of sorcery in a language neither Ahsoka or Ezra understood, but to Ahsoka, she figured it was Sith Tongue or its older form. The blue fire resting in the pedestal reacted to the spell, extending through the portal, rushing towards them. Morai took to the air as Ahsoka stretched out her hands to halt the fire, however, it was much stronger than she anticipated. Her concentration began to falter.

"I- can't- hold it!" Ezra gave her aid by pushing back the flames too and it seemed to work, but Sidious put more energy into the fire. Ahsoka yelled, turning on her heels and they both sprinted for their lives. Without warning, a tendril wrapped around Ezra's ankle, a blue tendril of flame that was somehow not burning him, which defies the logic of fire and pulled him towards the Lord of the Sith. Not wanting to lose Ezra, Ahsoka sprang forward, igniting one of her sabres and slashed at the tendril. Pulling the eighteen-year-old up, Ahsoka told him to run to the portal he entered through and promised that she will find Ezra again.

Splitting off with Morai following Ahsoka, Ezra leapt for the portal he entered, safe from the Emperor's grasp. Ahsoka went for another, following her Convor Morai. Seeing the portal she was guiding her to, Morai flew through safely, but for Tano, she is very unlucky. A streak of intense blue flames blocked her path, forcing her to skid to a halt.

"No, no, no! Shavit!" If there's one thing she picked up from Anakin, it's his knack for swearing, may it be in Basic or Huttese and to his displeasure, she picked up Mando'a swear words from his battalion and a few other Clones. She can almost hear Obi-wan scolding her. Sharply turning, Ahsoka's eyes caught another portal, it was different from the other portals, appearing a little larger than the other ones and she raced to it with speed enhanced by the Force. She could hear the flames behind her, with Ezra safe, Sidious is either hellbent on killing or capturing her. In a last-ditch effort, she practically swan dived for the gateway, jumping through it and blocking out the sounds of Sidious' enraged cries.

Her surroundings lit up before her eyes, then…

CRASH!

_ Year: 8 ABY… _

_ Time: 1345 (13:45; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Afternoon… _

Canon: _Post-The Past Always Haunts You_

( _Scene: Larte-Tano Mechanics, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

A year has passed since Kaeden Larte was held hostage by Darth Véurr in a fortress on Mustafar. It was a traumatising experience for her, the worst eight days of her life. Even after Leia killed the Sith Lady who used to be her wife Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, Véurr had contingency plans in place and one of those said plans were cloning herself, so when Leia did kill her, her spirit was freed from the restriction of her original body; which thus in turn allowed her to take over the cloned body. The only planet Kaeden and her friends know is capable of cloning, who have the technology is on the planet of Kamino. It sickened Kaeden that the Kaminoans agreed to Véurr's orders, it made her sick seeing the Sith Lady in the body of what her wife looked like before she was confined to the armour and then… when Véurr captured her, she claimed she loved her the same way Ahsoka did, but she can give her more. How is rape and sexual assault loving someone!? Darth Véurr raped her during the time of her confinement, Kaeden still has nightmares about it. Even seeing a counsellor has not eased her nightmares. She goes to sleep, only to wake up thinking she is back in that room in the fortress on Mustafar, the planet where everything fell apart, the planet that she truly lost Ahsoka, the planet where she tried to kill her and accused her of betraying her. Ahsoka's mind was so twisted she could not tell truth from lies, Darth Sidious had her wife firmly in his grasp. Then, five days into her captivity, Véurr hired someone to burn down her repair shop, to break her, to make her submissive. The relationship Véurr strived for, in her delusion that Kaeden loved her, was that of or the equivalent of a Master and Slave, but by the Force, if Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and Slip (CT-4056) had not come for her when they did; the Sith Lady would have succeeded in breaking her. While she didn't break her fully, a part of Kaeden was broken after being carried back to _The Millennium Falcon_ by Chewie. The thought of Slip rushed her mind, Slip was Ahsoka's Captain of The 332nd Battalion, then he became the unofficial Commander of The 3rd Ranger Battalion during The Siege of Mandalore. Slip sacrificed himself to seal Darth Véurr away, to lock her in Sith Hell, Véurr managed to attain a form of immortality, her spirit, instead of becoming one with the Force, it can seek out and possess someone else. She has some crazy ability to tear one's soul apart so that she has full control of that victim's body. It is how she destroyed Ahsoka, so it can only be Véurr inside that body, her wife's soul was torn apart and she will never come back, not even as a Force Ghost. Ahsoka Tano is gone forever, she only lives in Kaeden's memories and the memories of others who knew her.

Back to the point of her shop being destroyed, it was another way for Véurr to make Kaeden give in and break her. Thankfully, with Leia's help, she was able to rebuild her mechanics shop, there was even a grand reopening for it. It took the better part of a year, but Leia is a senator, she had the right contacts and was able to pull the right strings. She even added a few extras that her original shop didn't have, like a hidden room for her to hide in if things go south, extra cameras to cover the blind spots, the garage where her customers land their ships or smaller vehicles has a blast door and to finish it off, the automatic doors are lightsaber proof. Leia has some good dealings with Mandalore. It was expensive, more expensive than her original budget, but Leia was adamant after the break-in by Darth Véurr, who actually severed the young Skywalker's right forearm; she was leaving no stone unturned in terms of security. They don't want a repeat, none of them do, though the Dark Lady of the Sith is sealed away in Sith Hell, there is a possibility that can't be ruled out, some Force forsaken idiot can release her from her prison, or even a wannabe Dark Sider. Without the black suit restricting her, Lady Véurr was difficult to fight in a lightsaber duel to the death, Leia was close to being killed. No one can overrule the fact the Sith Lady was insane, she was planning galaxy-wide domination once she killed the threatening, primary targets, that being: Leia and Luke Skywalker. Following that, Véurr had dealings in place with the Kaminoans to recreate the Clone Army and use them to lay waste on the galaxy, to conquer it and reinstate the Galactic Empire, to rule it in her vision, with Kaeden by her side! To proclaim her love for her, Véurr would have gifted the entire galaxy to her, even whispered promises of bringing Miara and her parents back from the dead, which is absurd! She also promised to restore Raada to its former glory, while her home planet it practically an inhabitable wasteland, the only thing left is a ruined ghost town and a single gravestone that her sister erected when she thought Kaeden was dead. It is with mercy that Darth Véurr did not order the planet to be blitzed via an operation known as BDZ (Base Delta Zero) or obliterated by the Death Star, which was Alderaan's unfortunate fate. All Leia could do was watch as Véurr held her back. Everyone suffered under the Empire, it affected them all in different ways, for Kaeden, she got the full brunt of Ahsoka's betrayal, then suffered the sins of what she has done, what terror and fear Ahsoka had wrought as Darth Véurr. It didn't take long for the persona of Véurr to consume her wife completely. Heck, even before ‘Soka became Darth Véurr she committed atrocities that pulled her closer to the Dark Side. Three years ago, they uncovered a GAR mission report written by her wife, it detailed the use of one of the Clone Protocols on a town on the planet of Fest in the Outer Rim. The protocol used was known as Order Thirty-seven, literally, it is genocide, it explained that the Supreme Commander (Supreme Chancellor), approved Ahsoka the authority to use it! Under Palpatine's orders, she and her men decimated a town and mass executed ten-thousand civilians for one fugitive! The order was used another two times during the Empire's reign. Kaeden could not believe her wife did this. That was one year before Palpatine commanded the execution of Order Sixty-six, one year before Ahsoka brought the Jedi to the very edge of extinction via _Operation Knightfall_.

Right now, she was having her lunch again, reading a holo-book published by none other than Hondo Ohnaka, a pirate, the book was titled: _The Book of Hondo_ , surprisingly he's a very good writer. The mechanic didn't know what possessed her to purchase a holo-book written and published by a pirate. If Ahsoka was with her, she may possibly delete it or destroy the datapad, her former wife had a bad experience with pirates first hand. Kaeden was content only for her peace to be disturbed by rattling coming from the garage. Kaeden Larte froze and paled. It's happening again!

 _"No! It can't be her! She's been banished!"_ Silently locking the door, Kaeden quietly reached for the emergency comlink that Leia gave her. She never had one before, Leia decided to cover that and she is thankfully planetside. Turning it on, Kaeden whispered into the communicator. "Leia!" The mechanic was doing everything she could to calm her panic, but when you're reliving the same memory from a year ago, it is pretty hard. "Code red! I repeat Code red!" A few seconds passed and a reply came back, as more clattering was heard through the door.

 _"You have to be Force fucking kidding me!"_ And Leia Skywalker is pissed. Which might be an understatement, she is her father's daughter and is fairly strong in her emotions. _"Kaeden, just stay calm. Get to the safe room and stay there, I'm heading to my speeder now. Give me ten minutes! I won't let her take you again."_ Kaeden hung up, flinching whenever she heard a sound through the door, footsteps were approaching. Reaching the safe room, the forty-seven year old opened the door, stepping in, silently closing it and locked it from the inside. All she could do was hope she would not be found and Leia will arrive here before Darth Véurr finds her. The question is: who in their right mind found Véurr's fortress and released her from her prison!?

_ At The Same Time… _

The light surrounding her vision cleared, allowing Ahsoka Tano to open her eyes, only to land directly on what seems to be a workbench, breastplate first. She let out a deep grunt as she made contact and knocking a few pieces of junk and tools off, despite the armour protecting her ribs, Ahsoka will be feeling that later. Slowly getting off the table, the Grey Jedi examined her surroundings, she appeared to be in a garage, the familiar workplace of a repair shop. Before ending up on Mandalore, Ahsoka worked in one of these while she stayed with two sisters named Trace and Rafa Martez, another mechanic they worked with was a boy named Nyx Okami, but obviously while working down in Level Thirteen-Thirteen, they had dodgy dealings as well. Arching her back and stretching her muscles to loosen a few cricks and knots, Tano decided the best course of action is figure out where she is, other than being in a repair shop and figure out what planet she is on. Perhaps if she finds the mechanic working here, he or she might be willing to help, hopefully, that's if they don't turn her over to the Imperials. Is the Empire still around? For some reason, the Force, in general, feels a lot lighter, it doesn't feel like a heavy, suffocating blanket. Going with the option to explore, as well as looking for someone to answer her questions, the best place to look is the mechanic's office. Making her exit from the garage, Ahsoka found herself in some kind of waiting room, just across was the room she was looking for: the head mechanic/manager's office. Quickening her pace, she only stopped for a brief moment to look outside the window, her jaw slacked, this planet is familiar! She's on Coruscant! Right in the heart of Imperial power, though there was no sign of the Galactic Empire emblem. There's no Empire? Did the Rebel Alliance win? Is the Emperor and Darth Vader dead? Has the Republic been reinstated? Has she travelled forward in the future? So many questions flew through Ahsoka's mind. Turning her attention back to the office, Tano made her approach and knocked politely, there was no response. Frowning, she knocked again, only to be met with the same result. Funnily, seeing this is an automatic door, it wasn't opening when she got close to it, which meant it was locked. Choosing to avoid the use of her lightsaber, going for least destructive means, Ahsoka used the Force to poke at the door's mechanisms to open it. It took a few minutes, but she eventually got the door to open. Stepping in, the Grey Jedi was surprised to find no one inside, it appears the person must have left, but the shop appears open, this indicates the person is hiding. Exploring the office, Ahsoka found a vital clue to the identity of the owner of this place, his or her licence card to legitimise a fully trained mechanic, that doubles up as identification; this type of card is given out after completing an apprenticeship. Staring at the card, Ahsoka's eyes widened with shock upon seeing the name: Kaeden Larte. Kaeden Larte, the farmer from Raada, the girl she saved from an Inquisitor known as Sixth Brother. Kaeden, her sister Miara and some of their people are now in the safety of the rebellion, fighting or were fighting. Kaeden is a mechanic? Strange, Ahsoka swore she was studying to be a doctor, a battlefield surgeon, she's learning on the job, unless she is learning mechanics at the side too… make all that past tense if the Empire is gone. It wouldn't be surprising, Ahsoka did teach Kaeden a thing or two about mechanics.

Turning to other items, Ahsoka found a small device. Curiosity getting the better of her, she picked it up, switching it on. This one surprised her even more, she almost dropped the device! It was a holo-photo. A holo-photo of Kaeden and… her, they were holding each other, snuggling, asleep on the couch it seems. Ahsoka's arm was wrapped around Kaeden's shoulder, while she was curled up, her head using her chest as a pillow. They were both asleep. Did… is she with Kaeden? Looking closer at the holo-photo, there was a small detail that seems to throw everything into confusion, this Ahsoka appears to be twenty in the photo, Tano was that age in 16 BBY, she only met Kaeden in 18 BBY, she was eighteen, one year after Empire took power. Frowning, she figured something is not right, maybe she hasn't travelled to the future, the most absurd idea that came to her head was that she… fell into a parallel galaxy. That's impossible, parallel galaxies are only a theory! Fiction even! Putting the holo-photo down, Ahsoka was about to resume her investigation, then her Force senses flared, but a little too late when something or someone Force Pulled her out of the office, her back, which is unprotected by armour, smacked into the wooden table. The amount of force caused the table to break, this was followed by the sound of familiar snap-hiss. A lightsaber. Pulling herself up, Ahsoka unclipped her main lightsaber, ready for a confrontation with the enemy. Looking at the offender, the enemy was not what she expected, standing before her was Senator Bail Organa's daughter: Leia Organa and she was wielding a lightsaber of an unusual colour. The blade was white, just like her own, except… there was a tinge or a shade darker, almost… white-silver. There was an angered scowl on the Princess' face, which utterly confused Tano, what did she do to offend the Princess?

"Princess, let's just-" Before she could finish her sentence, Ahsoka was thrown back by a powerful Force Push, enough to actually break through the wall. Tano thanked the Force that she didn't break it. She hit the ground roughly, sliding along the floor, alright, she was terribly confused. The Princess has a lightsaber, clearly has Force training and Ahsoka has done something to offend her. The Force screamed out in a warning, prompting Tano to reluctantly activate her weapon and blocked Leia's attack. For Leia, seeing the colour of Darth Véurr's blade made her even angrier, this Sith has gone through quite a pain to imitate Ahsoka Tano, though the white lightsaber is confusing, even changing her appearance, her armour is the same, but beige, she also dropped the black sweeping cloak that is normally clipped to shoulder armour. It must have taken quite a strain of concentration to change her eye colour from the disgusting red-rimmed, sulphur yellow-gold she has normally seen. She doesn't know what the deal is with the lightsaber colour, but that is irrelevant for now. Why did she go to such extremes to make herself look like her lost sister, to trick Kaeden again? So she can snatch her away? That she can lock Kaeden away and rape her to her pleasure? And what kind of di'kut released Darth Véurr from Sith Hell!? The two stayed in a sabre lock for what felt like hours, finding strength, Ahsoka managed to get the upper hand, pushing out with her free hand to stumble Leia, she didn't want to hurt her, she just wants answers. What took Ahsoka off guard was when Leia fixed her stance, it was an Ataru (Form IV) stance, mixed with Form V: Shien/Djem So, though it was the Shien form being applied. This is the exact same style she uses! If she is in another galaxy and another version of Ahsoka taught Leia, why is the girl attacking her? Leia jumped into the air, powered by the Force, raising her lightsaber, Ahsoka dug her heels into the ground, angling her sabre horizontally when Leia's weapon made contact. Whatever strength she had, Ahsoka pushed her arms upwards, forcing the Princess off her and the two duellists held in another lock. "Can you just stop!? I'm after fighting three Inquisitors, fought Maul and Darth Vader, got pulled through Space-Time, held off Darth Sidious, ended up here and now I have to deal with this bullshit!? What have I done to offend you?" Her question made the Princess of Alderaan look coldly at her, as her face twisted into a snarl. What kind of bantha shit is this Sith Lady spouting? Leia knows who Maul is, was well aware of the Inquisitors and everyone knows Darth Sidious, but who in the Force is Darth Vader? And what's this about being pulled through Space-Time? Is this some kind of trick or intricate lie she made up? Shaking the questions off, Leia focused on the present.

"What have you done to offend-" She just laughed icily, "You have to be really specific because there's a very long list of things you have done to not only offend me but many others too!" With surprising strength from the petite woman, Tano was thrown off balance, allowing Leia to switch to Djem So and begun to smash her defence with Falling Avalanche. Ahsoka was forced to use a mix of Mikashi (Form II) and Soresu (Form III) and her own natural acrobatic ability. Questions flew around her head, what did the Princess mean by her words? Even the Force was just as confused, that didn't help the situation at all.

The duel between them dragged on, Leia's strikes were becoming a little sluggish, but for Ahsoka, after being weakened from fighting Vader on Malachor to repelling Sidious' Sith fire spell, her overall strength was giving way due to the strain it was put under. Everything was happening so fast, her body had no time to recover. With a shaky hand, Ahsoka pushed Leia away again with a Force Push, a little stronger this time, enough to make her skid backwards than tumble. Whatever she did wrong, it was enough to make Leia try to kill her. Before she could reason any further, something hit Ahsoka in the back, her sabre deactivated once it fell to the floor and her vision went black. Leia turned her head to see a nervous Kaeden Larte, armed with a DL-44a Commando Pistol set to stun shaking in her grasp, while it was stupid of her to be out here, she was grateful as her stamina was beginning to give way. It was also very brave of Kaeden, Véurr may have scarred her for the rest of her life, she hasn't completely broken the mechanic if she can shoot a stun blast at her. Clipping her reconstructed lightsaber to her belt, Leia picked up the sabre hilt on the ground, then unclipping the shorter one that appears to be a shoto; she put them both on her belt, the main sabre next to her own and the shoto on her right hip. The next question is what to do with Darth Véurr here.

"Do you have some… ropes, chains and a pair of Force-blocking handcuffs?" She asked her,

"Ropes and chains to your right. I'll get the cuffs." Nodding, looking back to the Togruta, she is out cold. The stun blast did a number on her. Heading to the shelves, Leia found the rope and chain, along with a heavy padlock. Walking back, Leia started with the rope, securely wrapping it around the Dark Sider's torso and her legs, then used the chains around her torso again and around her wrists. She locked the chain with the padlock and stuffed the key into her pocket. Kaeden came back with the handcuffs, placing them on the Sith Lady, switching it on. "You know, I should really get a pet Yalsamari, the Force is starting to piss me off and I'm not even Force-sensitive!" It's nice to see Kaeden's sense of humour pique every now and then.

"It likes annoying you either way. We'll sort you a pet out later." Laughed Leia, "Second, where do we put Véurr?",

"There's a basement here, I wouldn't put her anywhere near where I live and no doubt, you'd be the same with your place." Leia lifted Véurr with the Force. She agreed with Kaeden, no way on her life would she lock Véurr up in Kaeden's apartment or her own.

"Lead the way." Leia followed Kaeden to the basement, it was a decent size, but Véurr won't be going anywhere with those Force-blocking handcuffs. She will not be going anywhere, not for a long time, until they figure out who released her from Sith Hell. Leia placed the unconscious Véurr against the wall on the floor, it'll be a few hours or a day before she regains consciousness. "Someone has to watch her. Looks like I'll be staying here.",

"I'll make a run for some supplies. We should also contact Luke about our predicament. Be careful, Leia. May the Force be with you, always." All Leia did was smile and nod as she grabbed a chair to carry out her shift on watch. Kaeden reluctantly left the Skywalker twin to get food and other necessities, it appears her repair shop is going to be a temporary prison.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Di'kut: Idiot/Waste of space/Useless individual (Literally: someone who forgets to put their pants on)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah… Prime Ahsoka is not having a good day, but neither is Galaxy-38 Leia and Kaeden who think she is Darth Véurr who has escaped Sith Hell after one year. As I said before, Kaeden is just done with the Force, to the point she'll buy herself a Yalsamari. At the moment, Ahsoka is out cold, tied and chained up in the basement, Force-blocking cuffs and all.
> 
> For those not familiar with Legends content, you all know now about Order 37. Base Delta Zero (BDZ) which I came across on YouTube is even worse than that. It was a last resort operation used by both The Galactic Republic and The Galactic Empire. It's basically blasting the planet's surface with all inhabitants included, resources etc by a heavy bombardment of lasers, to the point the planet's surface becomes a molten mess and even the top soil atomised. It literally was a wipe all life, everything, every resource et al (and others) operation. By destroying everything on a planet, they mean EVERYTHING. However, a molten mess is a better mercy than being obliterated to an asteroid field by the Death Star.
> 
> Let me make some things clear, so prepare for a little lecture. So take notes. There are rules in my universe and there is a big difference between travelling to different dimensions/parallel galaxies, compared to travelling backwards or forwards in time.
> 
> Dimensional travel is self explanatory, you're popping yourself from galaxy/world to another that may behave completely different. Imagine the Multiverse, each galaxy sits parallel to another in the same space, but in such a way that they don't interfere with each other. Remember, the possibility of the Multiverse in real like has been theorised by Astro and Theoretical Physicists. Yes! I read Astro & Theoretical Physics and Cosmology in my spare time.
> 
> Time travel is travelling the time stream in ONE specific galaxy or world. Each galaxy has its own timeline. This is further complicated by branches poking out of the timeline like tributaries. These tributaries represent alternate timelines of the same timeline. For e.g.: In Galaxy-38, there's an alternate timeline where Ahsoka's soul survived being torn apart or another where Darth Véurr's plans for galaxy-wide domination succeeded. There are thousands or more of these alternate timelines attached to the main time stream.
> 
> I have I lost ye yet? If not, the main take home is: Dimensional Travel and Time Travel are NOT the same.
> 
> Stay tuned for Part II. May the Force be with you, always.


	12. Displaced Part II (8 ABY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earning trust is never easy, but when complications are added to the equation, when are things ever easy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another part of the arc finally out! Awkward interrogation, trust issues, the whole shabang is there.
> 
> Enjoy the craziness.

_"Trusting is hard._

_Knowing who to trust, even harder."_

\- Maria V. Snyder, _Poison Study_

* * *

Chapter 12: Displaced - A Game of Trust

* * *

Legend:

_ Underline/Italics: Time/Date/Scene & Year Change _

_Italics: Thoughts/Words from other characters/Communication via other means; e.g.: comlink, transmission, holo-recording/footage, Force Bonds_

**Bold: Dreams/Nightmares/Flashbacks**

**_Bold/Italics: Force Ghosts speaking/Voices from Force Visions_ **

* * *

Character Profiles:

Ahsoka Tano (Galaxy Prime):

Age: 31 Years

Born: 36 BBY

Planet of Origin: Shili, Expansion Region

Species: Togruta

Affiliation/Position: Former Jedi Padawan, Former Commander of The 501st Legion, Former Unofficial General of The 332nd Battalion, Fulcrum Agent, Grey Jedi

****

Kaeden Larte (Galaxy-38):

Age: 47 Years

Born: 39 BBY

Planet of Origin: Raada; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former farmer, Mechanic

Year of Marriage: 22 BBY to Ahsoka Tano (Deceased in 19 BBY)

****

Leia Organa-Skywalker (Galaxy-38):

Age: 27 Years

Born: 19 BBY

Planet of Origin: Polis Massa; Outer Rim (Birth)/Alderaan; Core Region (Home/Destroyed in 0 BBY/ABY)

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Former Princess, Former General of the Rebel Alliance, New Republic Senator, Grey Jedi Knight

****

Katooni (Galaxy-38):

Age: 44 Years

Born: 36 BBY

Planet of Origin: Tholoth; Colonies Region

Species: Tholothian

Affiliation/Position: Former Padawan, Former Commander of The 332nd Battalion, Unofficial General of The 3rd Ranger Battalion, Former Fulcrum Agent, Grey Jedi

****

Sabine Wren (Galaxy-38):

Age: 29 Years

Born: 21 BBY

Planet of Origin: Mandalore; Outer Rim

Species: Human

Affiliation/Position: Mandalorian Warrior, Demolition Expert, Former Spectre of The Ghost Crew - Designation: Spectre Five, Former Rebel

* * *

_ Next Day… _

_ Year: 8 ABY… _

_ Morning… _

_ Time: 0830 (08:30; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Days On Galaxy-38: 1 _

Canon: _Post-The Past Always Haunts You_

( _Scene: Basement, Larte-Tano Mechanics, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

It was an absolute pain to open her eyes, it took an unnecessary amount of effort. The white light glaring at her or trying to peak in burned into the back of her throbbing skull. Shutting her eyes again, along with cursing a plethora of Mando'a expletives, oh yes, she can hear not only Obi-wan scolding her for her foul, corrupted tongue, but Plo Koon also. The boys, primarily ARC Trooper Fives (CT/ARC-5555) and even Kix (CT-6116), she's also blaming the grumpy ole' git Commander Wolffe (CC-3636) for teaching her how to swear and the main trio being the bad influences. Feeling everything settle, Ahsoka opened her eyes once more, this time, the light didn't glare at her and it didn't take long for her vision to clear, sharpen and focus. Looking around, the Togruta found herself in some kind of basement this time, she assumes this is part of the repair shop where Kaeden keeps junk, general storage or cleaning tools etcetera. Ahsoka tried to stand, however, something was keeping her from moving her limbs, then she noticed she could not move her hands all! It quickly occurred to Ahsoka that she was tied up, not only that, chained up too, which was a bit overkill and what hit her the hardest, was the fact she couldn't feel anything. She could not feel the Force! Silently scowling to herself, it appears her ' _friendly_ ' captors that she knows, yet treat her like someone who wronged them many times, have somehow gotten a pair of Force-blocking handcuffs in their possession. Well then, escaping is simply out of the question, which will make her look bad, Ahsoka is at the point she seriously needs answers, to a lot of things. Answers to questions such as: what galaxy is she in? Why did Leia attack her? What did Ahsoka herself do to hurt the Princess? The Princess' words echoed her mind when they duelled.

 _"You have to be really specific because there's a very long list of things you have done to not only offend me but many others too!"_ What exactly did she mean by that? What did Ahsoka do? Apparently, it wasn't just Leia who accused her of hurting her, she hurt many people as well. If Tano is correct in being sent to an alternate galaxy, was this version of her somewhat of a shabuir? Whatever lasting impact the Ahsoka in this galaxy left, it was not a good one, but it doesn't explain why it would prompt Leia to attack her. If Leia attacked her, it must have been a serious offence or offences. Knowing there was no way to escape, Ahsoka sighed and accepted her current situation or misgivings. Turning her head, her gaze met Leia's, who seemed to be having breakfast. Did… did Leia watch her all night!? Leia realised the prisoner was awake, she sipped a bottle of water before placing it on the crate next to her and literally, death glared at the Sith Lady.

"Finally awake, I see?",

"Definitely." Ahsoka replied drily, "Five stars for the accommodation and treatment of your customer." Apparently, being snippy in this situation was not a good idea. Leia's face scrunched, standing up and stormed towards her. Before she could count to five, Ahsoka felt a sharp sting across her right cheekbone as she yelped. Did… did Leia just hit her!? That's going to be felt for an hour or two, the Princess has a mean backhand. Why did that backhand feel harder than normal? "Did you just hit me!?",

"Damn right I did! Though that doesn't amount to the pain you have caused to the entire galaxy! To my family, to Kaeden!" Ahsoka felt her headache coming back. It was way too early to be dealing with this bantha shit. Okay, the other version of her did something really bad, but how can she prove she is not this galaxy's Ahsoka Tano? What's this about Kaeden? Did she not forgive her for the loss of her planet? That might explain one of the few things why Leia hates her. "We'll talk properly once Kaeden comes back. Can't say she is pleased to see you after what you have done to her." Ahsoka internally sighed, it has to be morning even though she didn't have something to tell the time, she already feels her headache coming back. Thinking about it, was it Kaeden who stunned her yesterday while she was fending off Leia? She really needs answers, though Ahsoka will only answer if this bad-tempered Princess here calms down and not punch or backhand her in the face. If Bail ever finds out Leia is doing such a thing, he and Breha would probably scold and ground her, or a very long lecture to match Obi-wan's will do just fine. Next, what bantha shit is Leia talking about now? As far as Ahsoka recalls, she hasn't done anything exactly to hurt Kaeden other than still feeling her presence on Raada put her, Miara and their people in danger when the Empire arrived. The two of them remained quiet for a while until they both heard the door open, footsteps descending the flight of stairs and in comes Kaeden Larte with a backpack; probably full of supplies for both herself and Leia. Why is a watch shift even needed? Ahsoka literally cannot escape, they have her locked up tighter than an Imperial prison or a detention centre! Kaeden placed the backpack next to the crate beside Leia, then glared at the Grey Jedi, who she sees as a Sith, crossing her arms. Ahsoka was very much surprised to see how old Kaeden has gotten, she appears to be in her mid to late forties. Ahsoka shifted on the floor to try and make herself a little more comfortable. She can tell interrogation is incoming and she has a few of even one chance to convince them both that she does not belong to this galaxy! Which is easier said than done if they don't believe in the concept of multiple galaxies. Kaeden had a blaster on her hip, why is she even armed!? It's bad enough Leia here is armed with a lightsaber and clearly, she has her lightsabers too.

"You know this is a bit excessive." Ahsoka started off,

"Not really considering what you are capable of." Leia grunted, "How the Force did you escape?",

"Escape from what?" Tano deadpanned,

"Sith Hell." Kaeden answered simply. The captive's face dropped and shook her head if she was hearing right. Did they just say and assume she has escaped from Sith Hell!? The plane of the Force where dead Sith Lords, Ladies and Dark Jedi go? Are they accusing her of being a Dark Sider!? Ahsoka would rather kill herself than fall to the Dark Side! That's what makes her different to Anakin, sure he taught her that it is okay to show and feel emotion, but she would never let darker emotions like hate, anger and fear consume her. It does also explain why she nearly snapped at Ezra back in the… World Between Worlds? What else is she going to call it? "Don't kriffing play dumb with us, you know what we're talking about.",

"As a matter of fact, Larte, I don't. I don't know what the kark you two are talking about, Leia here attacked me unprovoked and now I'm being told things I have no understanding of!" Ahsoka's answer only got stares as Leia and Kaeden looked at each other. Do they think she's lying? What proof do they need that she is not lying? Unfortunately, her answer sparked some anger in Kaeden, the woman's eyes darkened as she towered over her. It made Ahsoka cringe slightly as she sank back further into the wall.

"You're pulling an excellent Sabaac face, Véurr." She growled. What did Kaeden just call her!? That's not her name! "Why don't think back to the time you kidnapped me? Locked me up in your fortress on Mustafar and fucking raped me for a whole week!" Ahsoka's face fell but she flinched when the former farmer's hand smacked against the wall above her. She did what to Kaeden!? Fortress aside, which she certainly did not build or own, Ahsoka is not a deplorable person! She would never stoop so low to kidnap and let alone rape! Tano would never hurt Kaeden, her stomach churned upon the thought that Kaeden was raped, by her or a version of her. Perhaps this is why the other Ahsoka in this universe is hated so much, it seems like this galaxy is the worst version of herself. For some reason, something is nagging her at the back of her mind, upon hearing the name Véurr, it's triggering something else, there's a tug in the back of her memory; like something was locked away. What was it? Is this the first time she ended up in a different galaxy? Kaeden continued speaking to her. "That's not all you did, you cut off Leia's arm, as well as Luke's on Bespin. You killed Anakin and Padmé! They were your parents!" Anakin and Padmé were her parents? What? Sure, she has looked up to them both as father and mother, yet judging from what Kaeden is telling her, did they… adopt her or something like that? If they did adopt the other Ahsoka then it was behind the backs of the Jedi Order. Well, since when have some Jedi ever followed the Code? The Ahsoka of this galaxy must have been very close to Anakin and Padmé, perhaps Anakin even admitted his secret marriage to her. Wait! Maybe she can prove to them that she is not this Véurr person or the Ahsoka they know if she can get Kaeden and Leia to tell her when she was born.

"Let me ask you two something: what year was I born?",

"You were born in 39 BBY. What has this got to with anything?" Kaeden answered. 39 BBY!? This is all wrong, she was born three years earlier.

"That's not my year of birth!" Tano exclaimed, "I was born in 36 BBY. Plo Koon found and brought me to the temple in 33 BBY. I was three." This could be her one chance to prove that she is in the wrong galaxy, that they have tied up the wrong Ahsoka and figure out why they call her Véurr, along with why she is being scorned and hated. Kaeden turned to Leia with a raised eyebrow.

"This doesn't add up. Ahsoka was born in 39 BBY, the same year as me and she wasn't brought to the old temple until she was eight." The Togruta choked on air. Her counterpart didn't arrive at the temple until she turned eight!? That's five to six years passed the permitted age! The High Jedi Council would have said no outright. It appears she and Anakin swapped places. Right now, Ahsoka has Kaeden asking questions herself, which is good. She needs them to doubt that they have the right person, which they obviously don't. Tano begs she can make them see reason, otherwise, Leia might as well execute her and bury her body or feed it to the Akuls on Shili. It will appear then that Ezra pulling her out of Time and Space was all for nothing and ended in vain. Leia frowned at their hostage, she knows Darth Véurr is a slippery person and pretty darn good liar, literally insane too. Someone helped her escape and she spent the better part of a year making up this elaborate lie to fool her and Kaeden, but it won't work and Kaeden is close to falling for it. Ever since her kidnapping last year, Leia vowed since then that she won't lose her best friend, her aunt. She stepped forward and grabbed Kaeden's wrist, pulling her towards her.

"She could be trying to trick us!" Leia quietly hissed, "This is probably the most well-planned lie I have ever seen.",

"Leia, maybe we're both jumping the blaster here. I may not trust her but, this… Véurr here seems really confused and the way she's answering our questions, the looks she gives us-" Kaeden glanced a look at the Togruta, ocean sapphire-blue eyes stared back at her. The colour she has missed for many years, Kaeden missed looking into her lover's eyes, so bright and crystalline, curious and full of love. At the same time, after her trauma with Véurr, instead of seeing blue she sees sulphur yellow-gold contained by a ring of red. Eyes that are filled with endless hate, anger and fury, so predatory looking and almost glowed to a certain extent; like a predator hunting in the night. "Even this person is looking for answers from us! Perhaps she's telling the truth, this is not Darth Véurr. Did you even think about reading her Force Signature?" Ahsoka had to mentally slap herself if she heard right, clearly those two have forgotten she has a heightened sense of hearing, can hear sounds that are a few decibels higher and lower than humans that only hear a limit of zero to negative fifteen decibels. Did she hear the name they claim her to be with a Sith title!? It all hit Tano like a ton of bricks or a ton of Mandalorian Iron, she fell to the Dark Side, not Anakin. It felt like she got caught in the blast radius of a thermal detonator and the thought of her being a Sith made her ill. What made her counterpart fall to the Darkness?

"She could be hiding her signature using Force Stealth! Just like what Sidious did during his time as Chancellor." It took a lot of effort not to roll her eyes, Leia is being really stubborn about this, like trying to pull teeth from a Gundark.

"Well, ' _Véurr_ ' here is cut off from the Force, so she can't shield herself. Just read her kriffing signature, Skywalker!" Ahsoka's jaw dropped, Anakin has a child!? Bail and Breha Organa are raising Anakin's and Padmé's daughter, why did he not entrust her with that? Did he not trust her at all? Pushing all that aside too, to just focus on her current predicament, Ahsoka watched as Leia closed her eyes to focus for a moment or so. As Kaeden suggested, the Princess of Alderaan is reading her Force Signature, that she can no longer shield at the moment with the cuffs clasped to her wrists. Roughly five minutes have passed before Leia opened her eyes again, yet still frowning, she wasn't angry, just distrustful now. At least she isn't in the state of wanting to murder her on sight. "So?" Probed Kaeden, "Is this Véurr?",

"No." Leia whispered, staring at the Togruta. "Her signature is completely different, she has centred herself between Light and Dark but… she has an incredible sense of balance.",

"I may not be Force-sensitive, but compared to Darth Véurr, her signature would obviously be dark, the hate and anger radiating from her would be compared to that of a volcano. From what you described, there is no way Véurr would have that level of balance." Kaeden turned her gaze to Vé- Ahsoka or some displaced version of Ahsoka. Before her fall, Kaeden would put up with daily to weekly ramblings from her wife about reading scientific holo-articles about the existence or possible existence of these alternate galaxies or the Multiverse. She always thought hard about them, often asked if there was a galaxy where the two of them are happily married, that The Clone Wars has ended or no war broke out at all. It sounded absurd at the time, yet seeing Ahsoka here who has no clue what she and Leia are talking about, maybe the thought of it is not so absurd at all. Is it possible the Force created multiple galaxies? Hundreds of thousands of galaxies all sitting beside one another in the same space but in such a way that none of them makes contact with each other to cause a dangerous, cosmic cataclysmic event. Why would the Force have the need to create so many galaxies? These are questions that are almost impossible to answer unless the Force hid away the answer from the minds of humans and alien species alike because such knowledge would be dangerous and could be abused. Or are all living beings not meant to know such answers? Who knows. In Kaeden's mind, this is proof that they are not the only existing galaxy, perhaps there's a galaxy that fared better than theirs. "Leia, she is not Darth Véurr. I believe her and something in my gut tells me she is not meant to be here.",

"Oh, thank the kriffing Force!" Said Ahsoka, "Can you please untie me and remove these cuffs? I give you my word, I will not hurt you. Just tell Skygirl here to calm the kriff down.",

"Don't call me that!" Rebuked Leia, looking as if vein would pop in her forehead. All Ahsoka did was chuckle, it was the same response she got from Anakin when she called him Skyguy for the first time. That girl really is her father's daughter. Huffing, Leia unclipped the lightsabers belonging to her, but instead of handing them or tossing them onto Ahsoka's lap, she passed them to Kaeden. "Okay, she's not Véurr, Ahso- uh-" Leia was extremely uncomfortable calling the Togruta Ahsoka, it just brings back memories of the sister she never knew and surely Kaeden would not need reminders either. The loss and betrayal by her is still a sore point, no matter how much time passes, it feels raw for Kaeden.

"Fulcrum." She said, "You can call me Fulcrum.",

"Fulcrum." Leia tested. That's the pseudonym Katooni and her mother used, although her mom used the codename, Angel, more so than Fulcrum. It's the codename used for anyone who worked in the Alliance's Intelligence network. In fact, it was Padmé and Katooni who helped set up the network and in a sense, are some of the co-founders of the Rebel Alliance. "I can work with that. Since you are not who we think you were, there's no point in treating you like a prisoner. It doesn't mean I trust you still." Not being treated as a prisoner is a step in the right direction in Fulcrum's mind, she can deal with the trust issues later. Walking over, she pulled out the key from her pocket to undo the padlock to remove the chains, followed by the rope. After that, she deactivated the Force-blocking handcuffs, taking them off, also handing them to Kaeden as an emergency if she ever needs them. Just in case Fulcrum is fooling them all and has succeeded in convincing them both with a believable lie. Fulcrum stood up, rubbing her wrists and stretching her back. "Obviously there is no need for you to stay here. Where are you going to go?",

"She can stay with me." Kaeden answered quickly, "Until we figure how to get Fulcrum back to her own galaxy, she can stay at my place and pose as a hired hand here.",

"I guess I can agree to that." Shrugged Fulcrum. She can pose as a mechanic, it's not the first time she has done so. Fulcrum did that when she arrived on the moon of Raada in 18 BBY, where she first met Kaeden from her galaxy. Now realising Leia is Force-sensitive, maybe she can confront Bail and Breha about it and teach her Leia how to utilise it. "Maybe we should get going?",

"Contact me whenever, Kaeden." Leia told the mechanic, placing a hand in her shoulder, then glaring at Fulcrum. "Hurt her in any way, I'll shove your shebs into the darkest pits of Sith Hell." The threat was enough to make the Grey Jedi gulp, she could hear a tint of Anakin's threatening or dangerous tone coming through. The woman is definitely a father's daughter. Fulcrum also recalled the other reason Leia hates her, she may not be Véurr, but if she faces any version of Ahsoka, she will just blame them for the loss of her arm. That's why the backhand felt harder than the average human, her forearm is a metal, strong and lightweight prosthetic. This person Luke also lost his hand, is he a Skywalker too? What is it with Skywalkers getting their limbs severed? Fulcrum decided it was best not to reply to the brunette, she just followed Kaeden's gesture to come with her.

_ Time: 1330 (13:30; Coruscanti Time)… _

_ Afternoon… _

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

Inserting the key, Kaeden unlocked the door to allow herself and Fulcrum into the apartment she owns. Fulcrum took a moment to take in the place, it was a decent size for one person, the shelves are filled with holo-books along with the few odd physical books, an uncommon thing to come by. Kaeden must be quite the bookworm, the Rebel spymaster was eyeing some reading material, holo-books about Revan, The Mandalorian War, The Great Schism, The Jedi Civil War and many other areas of history. She also noted the balcony outside, overlooking the ever-bustling air traffic of Coruscant. This is only temporary though, Leia is probably looking into ways to send her back to her own galaxy now, the sooner she is gone, the better. Fulcrum kind of feels that way too, the rebellion needs her, she just prays to the Force time doesn't move differently to her own galaxy, a full day here could be half a day or half an hour or vice versa. The portal Ezra used to get into the World Between Worlds was on Lothal, could she do the same? The question is… knowing Ezra if he successfully escaped, he sent the Lothal Jedi Temple crumbling so no one could ever abuse the portal. The World Between Worlds is powerful, but perhaps there is a reason it is cut off or access is restricted to Force-sensitives, yet very well hidden from them; an infinite gateway to travel to the Past, Present and Future, as well as alternate galaxies. You could literally spend your whole life playing God, but of course, time has rules, some things are set in stone. Fulcrum was broken out of her thoughts when Kaeden cleared her throat.

"The guest bedroom is next to mine, you can stay there.",

"Thank you, Kaeden. For your hospitality." Fulcrum said to her,

"I'm only doing it because if you stayed with Leia, she'd kill you in your sleep." The response made the Torgruta recoil a little. It is true though, Leia would have no qualms in ending her life and factor in she still doesn't trust her and neither does Kaeden. The mechanic may believe her story, but she is very on edge, wary almost, the woman still has Fulcrum's lightsabers in her possession. "Do not take my kindness to mean I believe your story. As I said before, I still don't trust you." Fulcrum was on the absolute verge of severing all three of her leks out of frustration. Did she not prove to her and Leia that she is not Darth Véurr! She is not this galaxy's Ahsoka Tano who seemingly managed to screw up her life even worse than Anakin while being the biggest jerk about it; it's no wonder that version of her fell to the Dark Side. "I'm heading to the market. Need to get more meat to sustain you." Before she could say anything else, Kaeden walked out of the apartment and locked the door. Fulcrum sighed, depending on how long it will take to get her back to her own galaxy, the spymaster told herself to expect a few crappy days or more of this bantha shit. For now, it seems like the best way to pass time is to do some light reading on Kaeden's impressive holo-book collection, walking over, she pulled down a book detailing The Mandalorian War. To be fair, Revan was her favourite Force user, as much as the other Jedi of the old Order tried to make a bad impression of him. With the holo-book in hand, Fulcrum made herself comfortable on the couch and started reading.

_ Time: 1545 (15:45; Coruscanti Time)… _

Sighing out loud, Fulcrum put the holo-book down on the coffee table. Kaeden appears to be still out at the market, perhaps stocking up, even she has no idea how long her unexpected, displaced guest will be stuck in this galaxy. Honestly, Fulcrum does not know which predicament is worse, the fact Leia wants to outright, first-degree manslaughter her, being called a Sith or Kaeden not trusting her and just let her in her home, just so Leia doesn't kill her. The sooner she gets out of this galaxy, the better it is for all parties. Standing up from the couch, Fulcrum decided to have a look around the apartment, to get her bearings. She noted the kitchen, definitely knows the sitting room, the balcony and noted the guest room and beside it is Kaeden's room. That was when she began to get a small tingle in the Force, something was calling to her, something along the lines that will… help her understand? Understand what? Following the call, it led her to Kaeden's room, which she felt was a bad idea, the spymaster did not want to intrude on the mechanic's space; but the Force was urging her to enter and if the Force directs you to something, you can't ignore it. Mentally apologising about this intrusion of privacy, Fulcrum pushed the door open and entered. There was nothing special, just your standard bedroom, the call got stronger, directing her to the wardrobe and so, the Togruta opened it, the Force told her to grab the box above her, she used a gentle Force Levitation to bring it down. With the mysterious box in hand, that the Force led her to, Ahsoka sat on the bed, opening it, inside were a couple of items: some devices that store holo-photos, even recordings and some kind of ring made out of bone, with a simplistic tribal carving. It dawned on Tano that it was a ring made out of an Akul bone, carved on the inside was a year: 22 BBY. Wasn't that the year Anakin and Padmé got married? Something is not clicking, how is thing ring connected to her counterpart and Kaeden? Perhaps the holo-devices will reveal something useful. Picking up one, the Grey Jedi pressed the button to turn on the device, a few seconds passed to allow it to boot up, then a holo-photo appeared. It was a holo-photo of this galaxy's Ahsoka Tano, wearing an amalgamation of armour, with her arm slung around Kaeden's neck, standing beside them was… her jaw almost dropped. Is that Katooni!? Looking closer, there was a Padawan bead attached to her headdress. It doesn't take a genius to know what that means, Katooni was a Padawan Learner, not a Youngling. Examining the photo, the Ahsoka shown appeared to be eighteen, bearing in mind she was born in 39 BBY, the Tholothian was roughly in her teenage years; though it is hard to tell, Tholothians have this trait of appearing ageless, take Masters Adi Gallia and Stass Allie for example. Beside them were two Clone Troopers, one standing straight but with a soft smile, he was relaxed while the other seemed to have a roguish look on him. They both had their helmets tucked underneath their arms. It struck her, the realisation, the painting on the helmets are the exact same to when she led the siege on Mandalore! Except for the trooper to the right, on his helmet were Jaig Eyes, just like Rex. The only difference is the design is much sharper, not as ' _crude_ ' as Rex put it, their Plastoid armour is painted burnt orange. Her counterpart was a Jedi General, which meant she was a Jedi Knight and that leads to meaning… this was her battalion. Were they called The 332nd as well?

Ahsoka mentally chuckled to herself, the thought of her counterpart having a Padawan. What was Katooni like? Was she calm? An impulse control? It would be hard to imagine her being the reckless type, Katooni was the calmest of her Youngling clan, even though she had trouble with self-belief and confidence. Then there was the question of what was the other Ahsoka like as a mentor? Was she calm? Or did Anakin pass on a bit of his recklessness? Was the tuition of her Padawan a bit like the tuition under Anakin? It still doesn't answer why her counterpart fell to the Dark Side. Then something mentally struck Ahsoka, thinking back to the holo-photo she saw in the repair shop, then the ring with the year carved in it. It was… it was a wedding ring. Her counterpart was married to Kaeden Larte, just like Anakin was married to Padmé. Ahsoka's heart clenched, the alternate version of her was married, secretly behind the backs of the Jedi Order. Well, what do you know? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. This Ahsoka and Anakin are more alike in this universe. So… that's why their Ahsoka fell to the Dark Side, just like Anakin with his attachment to Padmé, not wanting her to die, her counterpart must have fallen for the same reasoning. This galaxy's Ahsoka Tano fell to the Dark Side and became a Sith baptised Darth Véurr, it was a gut-wrenching thought. This is probably why the Jedi forbid attachment. Turning back to the holo-device, Fulcrum pressed a button to change photos, it showed a different one, a photo of a much younger Ahsoka, she must have been ten. Fulcrum had a sad look on her face when her gaze met Anakin's and Padmé's face, those must have been married earlier in this galaxy. The three of them were snuggled up on the couch, with the ten-year-old sitting in between them, most likely watching a cheesy holo-movie. The three of them look like a proper family. Why would her counterpart, at that age be spending time with Anakin and Padmé? Did they… adopt this counterpart? It was a baffling question, how many differences are there compared to the galaxy she belongs to? There were so many questions Fulcrum wanted to ask.

"What are you doing in here!?" Kaeden's voice rang through the room, causing Fulcrum to fumble the device in her hand in an effort to switch it off. The mechanic stormed over, ripping the device out of her grasp and pulling Fulcrum off the bed and just… blatantly threw her to the floor. Thankfully she did not remove her armour, so that took the brunt of the impact, the dark-skinned has fierce strength. "What gives you the right to go through my belongings!?" The Togruta stood up, brushing the dust off her.

"Look, I'm sorry for going through your things without your permission." Fulcrum apologised, "The Force led me to those items." There was a minute or two of silence between them. "That ring… you were married to my alternate counterpart." Kaeden nodded, sadness suddenly washing over her.

"This was my wife's ring. It was found in a meditation chamber belonging to Darth Véurr. ‘Soka fell to the Dark Side because she deluded herself that it was for my protection." After a few months into her counselling sessions last year, Kaeden decided to brave going back to Véurr's fortress. She avoided the room that the Sith held her hostage in, raped her and eventually, with thanks to R7, she found the Sith Lady's private meditation chamber. She found the ring and an old holo-photo of herself inside a container. Véurr often looked at these two items when alone. The translation of the Sith name clicked in Fulcrum's head.

"The Dark Protector." She muttered, a well suited, but ironic name. Kaeden pulled out a stool to put the box back into its original place, then putting away the stool and closing the wardrobe. She doesn't want to talk about this, cannot afford to dig up painful memories that she tried to bury and forget, her cyare left such an impact on her life, how can Kaeden forget? Anyways, why is she almost opening herself up to a… complete stranger who looks like her late wife and came from another galaxy?

"Come on, I'll start dinner." Fulcrum instantly picked up that Kaeden did not want to talk anymore, to talk about her wife. Whatever occurred since her wife turned to the Dark Side, it has left painful scars, deeper than anyone can imagine. Respecting Kaeden's wishes, the two exited the room, Fulcrum helped to set the table as Kaeden cooked, but the whole thing was in awkward silence.

_ Meanwhile… _

( _Scene: Cockpit, Orbiting Csilla, Unknown Regions, Galaxy-38_ )

Inside an old, but still well functioning and cared for Jedi T-6 Shuttle, a starship used during The Clone Wars by the Jedi Order, even before the war broke out. Within the cockpit were two crew members, one wearing what appeared to be colourful Mandalorian armour, a female with short dyed purple hair and another female who was deep in meditation. She wore a white cloak, her mysterious staff was leaning against the seat. Her brown hair was tied back in a neat plait. The shuttle was orbiting Csilla, this would be Grand Admiral Thrawn's home planet, who disappeared along with Ezra Bridger; whom they are looking for now. The one hint both the occupants have is that Ezra and Thrawn are somewhere in the Unknown Regions, a relatively unexplored, uncharted region of space, the same can be said for Wild Space. Other than Csilla, the other planet that resides in this region is Ilum, the Jedi, before the Order fell, would travel to with Youngling Initiates to find their Kyber Crystal and construct their lightsaber. This rite of passage was known as The Gathering, former Padawan, now Grey Jedi Katooni remembers her passage like it was yesterday, but her old lightsabers went through change; the ones she most often uses are the sabres containing the purified crystals that once belonged to an Inquisitor: Sixth Brother. Suddenly, with little or no warning, it just hit her like a speeder went out of control, the Force hit her, like it was frantically trying to explain something to her. All she got was:

 ** _"Go to Coruscant. The tamer must wait."_** That was when Katooni felt Sabine Kryze's hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Sabine was giving her a concerned stare. Return to Coruscant, that's something she will not want to hear, but there must be a reason that the Force told her outright to go back there. The Mandalorian won't like this, she'll be pissed at her for a while, but right now, they need to figure out how long it will take to get back to Coruscant within the Core Region.

"Sabine, how long will it take us to return to Coruscant?" The question, as she expected, took her aback. Time to deal with the famous Mandalorian temper.

"Are you kriffing serious, Jetii!?" Sabine yelled, "We got ourselves out this far, spent four years searching and now all of sudden, we have to return to the Core Region!? Let me guess, the Force told you?",

"Yes." Katooni deadpanned, "Sabine, I know you're worried about Ezra, but he can take care of himself a little longer. The Force told me we have to go to Coruscant, I don't know why, but it's… ordering us to." Sabine really did not want to put a backstop on locating Ezra, but it seems like something much more serious has come up, more serious than Ezra himself, he will understand. The Mandalorian sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Give me a moment to input the details on the navigational computer." Returning to her seat, with thanks to locals from the other planet they previously visited: Rakata Prime, they told them the hyperspace lane, one of them they can safely use is The Redoubt. At that distance, they can safely fly to Rago, jump to Anison and use the lane known as the Namadii Corridor to lightspeed all the way straight to Coruscant. Once the data was imputed into the computer, the calculations came back, making Sabine sigh. While the figure was not as bad as she originally thought, it is just those days could be used to travel, explore and find Ezra, instead they have to go back to the Core Region because the Force said so. The Force say, the Force do as one would describe it. She turned back to Katooni. "The whole jump will take five days and that's over the three jumps and not including flying to Rago.",

"That's fine." Replied Katooni, "I'm sorry we have to put Ezra on hold.",

"I'll get over it. Let's just hope it is not something bad then." Typing in the coordinates to The Redoubt, their surroundings filled with the familiar pale blue of the jump to lightspeed as the hyperdrive did its job.

_ Back With Fulcrum (Ahsoka) and Kaeden… _

_ Next Day… _

_ Early Morning…  
_

_ Time: 0520 (05:20; Coruscanti Time)…_

_ Days On Galaxy-38: 2_

( _Scene: Kaeden's Apartment, Upper Levels, Coruscant, Core Region, Galaxy-38_ )

In the early hours of the morning, Fulcrum suddenly shot up from her bed, waking herself up after hearing the sounds of crying and silent whimpering. It was coming from Kaeden's room, she knew the signs all too well, the poor girl was having a nightmare and Fulcrum had to wake and snap her out if. It is easy to hurt yourself in a nightmare state and whatever she is dreaming of, it's not the good kind. When she was younger, the war was beginning to hit her, the nightmares started, Anakin was always on the ball to help her, when he wasn't there; because he was understandably with Padmé, she often snuck out of the temple and got a speeder to the barracks. Over there, she shared an empty bed with the men, when they figured out she was suffering from nightmares too and found comfort in their presence. When her trips became more and more frequent, the Clones always made sure there was an empty free bed for the Commander near where The 501st Legion sleep. How she misses those times, they were hard but… she made better friends with the Clones that she did with some of the Jedi, she may have even had a few crushes on some of the men, Rex (CT-7567) in particular; but in the end, they were all just friends, vod, vod'ika and ori'vod. They were aliit. While some of the boys can be di'kuts, they meant well.

Getting out of the bed, Fulcrum hurried to Kaeden's room when she screamed. Opening the door, Kaeden was in a pretty bad state. The quilt was kicked off the bed, her fist clung to the pillow to the point her knuckles were white and her dark skin was glistening with sweat from the stress the nightmare is inflicting on her. Carefully approaching Kaeden, Fulcrum put her hands Kaeden's shoulder and shook them, as she spoke, to get through to the mechanic.

"Kaeden. Kaeden! Snap out of it! You're having a bad dream." Nothing, her words were not getting through to her. Fulcrum was almost pushed back when Kaeden's arm reflexively struck out.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The rape! She must be dreaming about… her counterpart… Véurr raping her. The thought of it wanted to make Fulcrum throw up, but she needed to wake up Kaeden.

"It's alright, you're safe. Just come back." She said to her, keeping her voice level and calm. It still wasn't working. Fulcrum did not want to do this, but it is the only way to relieve the mental turmoil, she has to delve into the woman's mind. It's invasive, especially since this is being done without permission and a mind is a private place, but that rule has to be thrown out the window for now. Who knows, under all this stress, Kaeden might not remember it. Drawing on the Force, Fulcrum used the energy to bring herself into Kaeden's troubled mind. Her eyes were closed, but she could see flashes, flashes of the mechanic's past, meeting the other Ahsoka, the war, she kept going until she found Kaeden. She was trapped underneath a shadow, a shadow with glowing, sulphur yellow-gold eyes. The shadow dissipated, revealing… herself, Darth Véurr, wearing armour much like her's, except the armour pieces were black and the cloak was clipped to a pair of shoulder armour. It was haunting, to see herself as a Sith, the worst version of herself. Using the Light Side of the Force, Fulcrum raised her hand, somehow overpowering the Dark, the darkness that Kaeden feared. It allowed her to settle, but this is unfortunately temporary for her, the past will come back to haunt her, for now, she is in some kind of peace. Fulcrum was pulled back to reality when Kaeden jerked herself awake from her sleep, her heart racing and sweat beading down her forehead. "Hey." Fulcrum wasn't sure if Kaeden was actually listening to her, for now, she has snapped out of the grip of the nightmare. "It's okay. You were having a nightmare." A troubled Kaeden turned her head, her brown eyes meeting ocean sapphire-blue. Is that… oh, Force! She missed her so much!

"Ahsoka?" Being called by her proper named surprised Fulcrum, but that was a welcoming gesture anyway, that the woman is getting her mind together. What took Fulcrum off guard even further, was when Kaeden cupped her cheek. "You're back!" Oh no! She seems to be in some kind of dazed state now! She thinks she is her wife! "You came back!",

"Kaeden, I need you to wake up a bit m-" Fulcrum's words were abruptly halted when Kaeden pulled her down and before the Togruta could pull back, their lips met.

Oh…

This complicates things.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Mando'a Translations:

Di'kut: Idiot/Waste of space/Useless individual (Literally: someone who forgets to put their pants on)

Shabuir: Jerk

Shebs: Ass/Backside

Cyare: Beloved/Loved/Popular person

Jetii: Jedi (Singular)

Vod: Brother/Sister/Comrade

Vod'ika: Little Brother/Sister

Ori'vod: Big Brother/Sister/Special friend

Aliit: Family (Clan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, way to make things awkward indeed. Ahsoka, you better pray Kaeden doesn't recall any of this. Your presence alone makes things complicated anyway, better hope Leia doesn't find out, because she will kill you, Sith or not.
> 
> As expected, Kaeden would still be suffering from nightmares of her ordeal from a year ago. Who wouldn't? The mechanic still has a lot of healing to go, even if she does heal, the scars will still be there. She did also willingly take Ahsoka into her home, because Leia will genuinely just murder Tano while she sleeps. Trust between Ahsoka and Kaeden is still on edge and maybe even more if she remembers kissing her by mistake. Oh dear, oh dear.
> 
> What's this? Something is tugging at Ahsoka's memory? I wonder if this has to do with a certain dimensional travel when she was 16 to another galaxy, which was supposed to be wiped from her memory. Will be touched on in the next chapter, probably. (Hint: referring to Mirror Mirror).
> 
> Sabine and Katooni better brace themselves for what they are about to walk into. I'm not 100% sure how hyperspace works, so I only did a rough calculation. They will not be arriving till Day 6, by then, hopefully Kaeden and Fulcrum will have the elephant in the room sorted. But yeah… Sabine is not happy about detouring, so Ahsoka, if you think dealing with Leia was one bad headache, prepare for a pissed off Mandalorian to top it all off. Katooni, please don't drop dead of a heart attack or even attack unprovoked.
> 
> Nothing else to say. Stay tuned for Part III of Displaced.

**Author's Note:**

> Kaeden survived the in-laws. I hope it was humorous enough because humour isn't my strongest writing skill. Regarding to certain video games I mentioned, I am somewhat poking fun as well. DOOM is… DOOM. Wolfenstein is pretty much the same, only with a Clone Wars/Post-Clone Wars setting and Blazkowicz is a Clone Commando. Need For Prodracing is poking fun at Need For Speed and Space Race is literally poking fun at Mario Kart.
> 
> Ahsoka! There is a valid reason you do not joke about joining the Dark Side!
> 
> The stories will be completely random, it may jump back, forward etc. 
> 
> Stayed tuned!


End file.
